Complete
by digitaldesigner
Summary: After an attack, Cordy's life is turned upside down. She questions whether anyone would ever want her again. However, in the aftermath, she discovers that is something she hasn't needed to worry about for a long time.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Complete

Author: Aimee

Beta: Dev

Word Count: 30,173

Rating: R

Spoilers: City Of, I've Got You Under My Skin, Expecting, Dead End, Rm w/a Vu, Heartthrob, The Price

Pairing: Angel/Cordelia, Gunn/Fred

Summary: After an attack, Cordy's life is turned upside down. She questions whether anyone would ever want her again. However, in the aftermath, she discovers that is something she hasn't needed to worry about for a long time.

Warning: Rape, violence, occasional swearing

Disclaimer: If you recognize them, they belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. Otherwise, they're mine.

Author's Note: Written for jossverse_bb and 30kin3. This is set in late season 3 so Wes isn't in this one. Other than the that, it goes completely AU.

Thank you to Dev for being the best beta around, bar none. Thank you for your encouragement and confidence in me. It meant more than you know.

Angel had been restless all night, ever since Cordy left for the night and he didn't know why. He just had this uneasy feeling, but had no idea what to do about it. So he paced. He paced between his office and Cordy's desk. He paced between the front counter and the gray circular sofa that occupied the center of the lobby. He paced between the red sofa in front of his office and the front door. He paced until Fred and Gunn couldn't stand it anymore. "Angel!" Gunn finally exclaimed.

Angel stopped his pacing long enough to glance up at his friend. "Yeah?"

"What's wrong?" Fred asked.

"I don't know," Angel admitted. "I've just got this bad feeling."

"About what?" Gunn inquired.

"Cordy."

"Did you try calling her?" Fred questioned the vampire.

Angel shook his head. "No." He sat down at Cordy's desk and picked up the phone, dialing her cell phone. When there was no answer there, he dialed her home. He waited for Cordy to pick up, but all he got was a recording. "This is Cordelia. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Damn," he muttered, replacing the receiver and turning back to Fred and Gunn, who were looking at him expectantly.

"Well?" Gunn asked.

"There was no answer on her cell phone or at home," he told them worriedly.

"Maybe she was just in the shower," Fred suggested.

"Maybe," he agreed. "But any other time I've called when she was in the shower, she heard the phone and had Dennis get her the phone."

"Do you want to go see if we can find her?" Gunn asked, knowing that Angel wouldn't rest until he found her. And, besides which, he had an almost sixth sense about her.

Angel nodded emphatically. "Yes."

"Come on then," Gunn told the vampire as he pulled on his jacket. He was glad to do something besides watching Angel's relentless pacing.

Angel stood and grabbed his leather jacket from the hook on the wall. "Fred, you stay here in case she calls," Angel told the young brunette.

"You got it Angel." Fred watched as the two men slipped out the Hyperion's doors and disappeared into the Los Angeles night. She shook her head, smiling. Angel was clearly a man deeply in love. The truth was, he and Cordy were so in love and had been for quite some time. The only problem was they had yet to admit it to each other. Each as stubborn as the other. Knowing those two, they probably wouldn't admit their love until either a near-tragedy forced them to or they were damn good and ready. The thing, though, was that knowing each other as well as they did, was that they were usually spot on when they sensed trouble about the other. The very thought sobered Fred. "Hurry, Angel," she whispered.

***

"Where to first?" Gunn asked his friend as they sped down the highway. Gunn was behind the wheel and Angel was looking more worried by the minute.

"She said something about needing new black boots when the heel of hers broke when we got back from fighting that Haklar demon earlier. Maybe she went to the shoe store."

"Which store?"

Angel glanced over at Gunn with a pained expression. "We'll have to start at one end of the Beverly Center strip and work our way to the other end. Hopefully, we'll find her before too long."

Gunn nodded. "To the strip it is," he said, pulling into the turning lane and turning left at the next intersection.

Gunn pulled Angel's Plymouth convertible into the parking lot of the first store on the strip ten minutes later. Without a word, both men exited the vehicle, a sense of purpose in their stride.

Angel opened the door of Boots and More, hoping to find Cordy surrounded by a dozen or so shopping bags trying to decide between the black one or two inch heel. Angel shook his head at that very thought. Before Cordy, he hadn't even known there was more than one choice. He always thought a boot was a boot.

"Can I help you?" a well-dressed blonde who looked to be about Fred's age greeted them.

"Just looking, thanks," Angel told her.

Angel turned to Gunn after she turned to help a teenage girl and her mother. "You start on that side, I'll start on this one and we'll meet in the middle."

Gunn nodded. "Okay."

Angel walked off in the direction of the women's dress shoe section, praying he'd find Cordy soon. The first aisle was empty except for an older woman looking at black flats. The next aisle over held a mother and her three small children. Angel sighed and hoped Gunn was having more luck as he rounded the corner.

Unfortunately, Gunn was having about as much luck as Angel was. The first aisle that he went into had a teenage boy looking at hiking boots. The next aisle had a middle-aged man studying a pair of walking shoes. When Gunn rounded the corner, he hoped they'd find Cordy soon.

Five minutes later, Angel and Gunn met in the middle at the back of the store. "Nothing?" Angel asked.

Gunn shook his head. "No."

***

Three hours later, Angel and Gunn had been in not only Boots and More, but also Fashionable Heels, Chloe's Casuals and even Shoe Carnival. Cordy was nowhere to be found.

***

"Where to now?" Gunn asked sliding behind the wheel of Angel's Plymouth convertible.

"The mall," Angel sighed.

"Los Angeles Parkway, here we come," Gunn said, pulling the vehicle into oncoming traffic.

***

"How are we going to do this?" Gunn asked Angel when they arrived at the shopping center 20 minutes later. "There's a lot of stores here."

"I'm not sure," Angel admitted, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Well, we could either stick together or split up," Gunn mused thoughtfully.

Angel nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah. We could cover more ground if we split up."

"True," Gunn agreed.

"Let's go," Angel told him, opening the passenger side door and heading in the direction of the front entrance. Gunn followed.

Inside, Gunn let out a low whistle when he saw the size of the building. "You take the north end and I'll take the south end?" he asked.

"Yeah," Angel acknowledged. "We'll meet back here when we're done."

Gunn nodded and walked off in the direction of the south end. Angel watched him go for a moment before heading into the first store, a bookstore. Maybe Cordy was buying another Jane Austen novel. She had mentioned wanting to read Sense and Sensibility yesterday. Either that or she could be picking up the latest James Patterson mystery.

Angel scanned the mystery section for any sign of Cordy. When there was none, he moved in the direction of the classics, hoping he'd find her there, but the only thing he found was a teenage girl reading the back cover of Emma. He sighed and quickly looked over the rest of the store. When he found no sign of her anywhere, he walked out, hoping Gunn was having more luck than he was.

***

On the south end of the mall, Gunn entered the Suncoast movie store. He knew Angel's birthday was coming up so maybe she had gone in there to find a classic movie for him like Omega Man or Touch of Evil. Gunn shook his head as he walked in the direction of the classics. The man loved Charlton Heston. There was no one in the classic section, though.

Hmm, Gunn thought. Maybe she was finally going to break down and buy that Complete Collection and Then Some box set of Barry Manilow she kept talking about. The aisle with the box sets had just one middle-aged man in it, however. There was no sign of Cordy anywhere in Suncoast. He sighed as he left the store.

***

Angel's mind took him back to the last time he'd been at this mall. Cordy had dragged him here because she needed his opinion, she'd claimed. On what, he hadn't known, but he'd let her convince him to come anyway. When he'd seen the size of the building, he wished he hadn't. She'd then proceeded to pull him into every one of her favorite stores. He'd ended up carrying her bags--and paying for a good portion of her purchases. He shook his head at the memory. Truth was, he'd had a wonderful time. Not that he'd tell her, of course.

***

Gunn stood outside the next store he knew he had to go into, trying to work up the courage to enter. He looked through the glass window, hoping to see Cordy without actually having to go inside. He sighed as he stepped within the interior of his worst nightmare. He had arrived at the inner sanctum, a place that clearly said 'no men allowed, unless expressly invited'. He'd just entered Victoria's Secret.

"Can I help you?" a middle-aged brunette asked him, an amused smile on her face.

"No. I'm just looking for someone," he managed to croak out. Was that his voice?

The woman just nodded, her smile becoming even wider, if that was possible. "Let me know if you change your mind," she told him.

Gunn nodded and walked away from her as quickly as he possibly could. He looked around, deciding to look at whatever was in the very back of the store. When he got there, however, he regretted that decision immensely. The back of the store contained all the sexy lingerie. Cordy wasn't there, only a couple of young twenty-somethings. They were admiring the lingerie and giggled about something when they saw him. He quickly made his way past the lounge pants, sleepshirts and slippers as he headed to the front of the store again. He also checked the beauty products, all the lipstick, fragrance and skin care items. Cordy was nowhere to be found. He practically ran out of the store.

***

Angel sat down on a bench by the front entrance while he waited for Gunn. He'd been unable to find Cordy anywhere in any of the stores he'd been in. And he'd tried them all, even the ones he knew she never shopped at. He sighed and hung his head in frustration.

"No luck?" Charles Gunn asked as he came walking up next to his friend.

Angel looked up, worry etched across his face. "No. You either?"

"No."

Angel nodded. "Let's go," he said, opening the door and stepping out into the night.

***

"Now what?" Gunn asked as they sped down the highway.

"It's time to check her apartment," Angel answered, his brow furrowed with worry.

Gunn pressed down on the gas petal to speed them up, knowing Angel had just about reached his limit. The only thing that would calm him was to find Cordy safe and sound. They rode the rest of the way to Cordy's apartment in silence, both men lost in their own thoughts.

When they pulled in up in front of Cordy's apartment building fifteen minutes later, Angel jumped out of the convertible before Gunn had even put it into park. Gunn watched him sprint inside, praying that when he went inside himself, he'd find Cordy giving Angel the third degree for waking her up and worrying for nothing.

***

When Angel reached her door, he was immediately alarmed. The door was ajar. Cordy never left her door unlocked, much less open. He pushed it open and stepped inside, looking around. "Cordy?" he called, glancing around and noting the pizza delivery box on the table. He was becoming more concerned by the minute. Where was she? "Cordy?" he called again, his voice taking on a tone of desperation.

Outside, Gunn pulled the convertible into a parking space beside a white sports car, putting it into park. He turned off the engine and pulled the key out of the ignition. He opened the door, stepped out and slammed the door, where he pocketed the key. He saw Cordy's yellow SUV parked just three cars down. Had she been home all this time? If she had, why hadn't she answered the phone when Angel had called?

***

Gunn stepped inside the apartment a minute later. "Did you find her?"

Angel shook his head. "Not yet. Check the kitchen." Gunn nodded and headed in that direction while Angel went to her bedroom, praying she was sleeping. He knocked gently on the door and quietly eased it open. "Cordy, it's me."

"A-Angel?"


	2. Chapter 2

Cordelia Chase was exhausted after a long night of fighting one very persistent Haklar demon. To top it off, she'd broken the heel of her black boots in the process. All she wanted was dinner and a long bubble bath to soothe her aching muscles.

She was about to put the key in the door when it swung open for her. "Thanks, Dennis," she told her invisible houseguest as she walked through the open door, closing it softly behind her and turning the lock, clicking it into place. She quickly shed her black leather jacket and hung it up in the hall closet. She walked into the dining room and dropped her bag onto the table. She continued into her bedroom, where she unzipped those offending boots and tossed them aside, rubbing her throbbing feet.

Barefoot, she walked into her kitchen in an attempt to find something for dinner. Opening the refrigerator door, all she saw was the makings for a salad and deli meat, which was not what she wanted for dinner. She opened the freezer and had much the same results. She found several flavors of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and a package of frozen waffles. Unless she wanted Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch, Pistachio Pistachio or Cherry Garcia for dinner, she was out of luck. She sighed and closed it again.

Cordelia walked back into the living room and sank into the cushions of her sofa. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes briefly, opening them again just moments later. She knew if she kept them closed she'd fall asleep and not wake up until morning and she did not want to sleep on the sofa, however comfortable it may be.

She yawned and considered her dinner options thoughtfully. She could have a ham sandwich, which didn't appeal to her because she wanted hot food, not cold. She supposed she could have frozen waffles, but she wrinkled her nose at that thought. She could also go to the grocery store, but she didn't really want to go back out. Considering all of this, she knew she was left with only one option. She picked up the phone and dialed the Sunset Boulevard Pizza Parlor.

"Yes, I'd like to order a large ham and green pepper," she told the man on the other end of the line after giving him her name, phone number and address. "Thanks."

She hung up the phone and wondered what she should do for the next twenty minutes while she waited on her pizza to arrive. She grabbed the remote off the coffee table and turned on the television, flipping through channels until she found something that interested her. It was an old Charlton Heston movie, The Three Musketeers. It was one of Angel's favorites. She smiled, wishing Angel was there to watch it with her. She thought about calling him, but decided against it. She settled back into the sofa, getting comfortable as she became engrossed in the movie. She was so lost in the action on the screen, in fact, that she was startled when the pizza delivery man knocked on her door. "Just a minute," she called, snapping the television off and standing.

She walked to her dining room table and retrieved her wallet from her bag and hurried to the door. Opening it, she put a bright smile on her face. "Hi," she told the man standing there.

"Hi. One large ham and green pepper?" he asked, looking at the receipt in his hand.

"Yes, that's correct. How much do I owe you?" she asked.

"That comes to $18.45," he told her as he handed over her dinner. When she turned to set it down on a nearby side table, a gun was shoved against her spine. "Scream and I'll kill you," he threatened, quickly closing the door behind him.

The thought of dying and never seeing Angel or anyone else she cared about again terrified her, so she kept quiet. He pushed her forward with the end of the gun. She tightened her grip on the pizza box so tightly it turned her kuckles white. "Where's your bedroom?" he demanded, pushing his Colt 45 harder against her vertebrae.

She nodded in the direction her bedroom was located, her sanctuary from the insanity of her life, set just off from the dining room. He pushed her in that general direction, stopping at the dining room table. "Put it down," he told her, indicating the pizza she still held in her hands. She slid the still steaming pizza onto her table.

It was then that he pulled a thick strand of braided rope from his jacket pocket. He uncoiled the twine and roughly pulled her hands behind her back, tying them together. The rope bit into the tender flesh of her wrists, causing an abrasion. She sunk her teeth into her lip to keep from crying out in pain.

He shoved her into the bedroom and pushed her onto the bed. He stood and removed his jacket and shirt. That's when the reality of what was happening really hit home. And she fought. She kicked and screamed, hoping one of her neighbors would hear her and call the police. Her actions outraged her attacker, though, and he punched her in the eye, which she kew would leave a bruise. "One more trick like that and I'll kill you," he hissed. He unbuckled his jeans and zipper, sliding them down his hips. His boxers soon joined his jeans on the floor. He kicked them to the side before returning to the bed once again.

She was relieved when he untied her hands, but then he brought them over her head and tied them to the headboard. Once he was satisfied she wasn't going anywhere, he started trashing her bedroom. She heard glass shatter as he threw her belongings around. She could tell he was looking for something, but she had no idea what. She tried loosening the knots that bound her wrists, working them free a little at a time, while still keeping her eye out for his return. Finally, they came loose and she was free. She jumped out of the bed and sprinted for the door, but she only made it as far as the doorway before he tackled her, knocking her to the floor. She landed flat on her back. Pain shot through her as she landed on the hardwood floor. He punched her in the mouth, causing it to split open. She could taste the tell-tale metallic flavor of blood in her mouth. She tried kicking him in the stomach, chest and between the legs, aiming anywhere that might help her escape. She swung her fists in the direction of his face, hoping to make contact. She did. She punched him in the eye and scratched his face in the process. That seemed to be the last straw for him. He pulled his gun back out. She froze at the sight of it, which gave him the momentum he needed.

He dragged her back to the bed and pushed her onto it. He climbed onto the bed, straddling her and ripped open her white blouse, sending the buttons flying. She heard them hit the hardwood floor and scatter. He unhooked the front clasp of her satin bra and furiously pushed it aside. He then proceeded to pinch and slap her breasts so hard that after just one time her eyes filled with tears. She could feel his arousal digging into her. He was enjoying the pain he was inflicting upon her. "Please stop," she whispered.

He punched her in the nose, hard. Blood poured out of her nose and onto her blouse and sheets. "Don't talk unless I speak to you," he screamed at her angrily, punching her in the face again.

He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, roughly pulling them down her body. He tossed them over his shoulder and onto the floor, where they landed with a thud. She began to thrash around, desperately trying to break free, but he grabbed her upper arms and held her down. The more she tried to get away, the more he grinned. When Cordy looked up at him, he looked like what she'd always imagined pure evil to look like.

He forced her legs apart and then pushed his way inside her. "No, please, no," she screamed out in pain. He pulled completely out, only to do it again. She didn't think it was possible, but it hurt even more the second time he thrust himself inside her. She sobbed, unable to do much else, praying it would be over soon.

He repeated his assault on her several more times before he came with a grunt and finally pulled out of her for good. Cordy closed her eyes while he quickly put his clothes back on. After he slipped on his jacket, he put his pistol up to her head, pulling the trigger. "Tell anyone about this and I'll be back. And next time, I won't leave you alive," he threatened, releasing the trigger once again and hurrying out of her apartment.

She lay there for a full ten minutes before she found the strength to move. She gingerly sat up, crying out in pain as she did so. There wasn't a single muscle in her body that didn't ache.

She wanted nothing more than to take a long, hot bubble bath, not only to soothe her muscles, but also to rid her body of his scent and touch, but she knew she couldn't. Not yet anyway.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, carefully pushing herself into a standing position. She stood on shaky legs and slowly made her way to the cherry wood dresser in the corner. She opened the top drawer, pulling out fresh cotton panties. She then opened the second drawer, drawing out her navy pajama pants and light blue pajama top. Carrying them back to the bed, she set them down. She removed her bra and bloody blouse that she was still wearing, flinging them into the corner. Completely naked now, she slipped the panties on and then put on the pajama pants, tightening the drawstring. She pulled the blue top over her head and hissed at the pain it caused to lift her arms over her head.

She walked to the closet, pulling out fresh linens. Walking back to the bed, she stripped it of the bloodstained sheets, tossing them onto a nearby chair. She quickly remade the bed and climbed into it. She leaned against the headboard and pulled the comforter up to her chin, wanting nothing more than to disappear into the cushiony depths.

She sobbed as the memories of the night washed over her; all the pain and fear. She had never felt so powerless before. She felt guilty. Why hadn't she been able to stop him? Remembering his hands on her body, she felt ashamed, sure no man would ever want to touch her in that way again. Not after tonight. She also knew the night wasn't even close to being over. And she was scared of what was to come.

As the tears fell down her pretty face, she had never felt so alone in her entire life. She knew only one person could help her. She needed Angel. Now. She wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms. She shook her head. No, she needed that. Desperately.

She was just about to ask Dennis to get her the phone when she heard footsteps in the hall outside her bedroom door. She started shaking violently, frightened that her attacker had returned, deciding not to take any chances with her telling someone what had happened.

But then she heard a quiet knock on her door before it was softly eased open. "Cordy, it's me," Angel's worried voice quietly told her. She had never been so relieved in her life.


	3. Chapter 3

"A-Angel?" she whispered in a voice he didn't think he'd ever heard her use before. She was sitting against the headboard of her bed, the comforter wrapped tightly around her, shaking. Angel rushed to her side, but she wouldn't look him in the eyes. He could see the many bruises covering her face in the moonlight. "Cordy, talk to me. What happened?" he asked, placing his fingers under her chin and lifting her face so her eyes met his.

And that was all it took. As Cordy stared into his eyes, her eyes filled with tears and she threw herself into his arms, sobbing like she never had before. Not to his knowledge anyway. His heart broke. He wrapped both of his arms around her, holding her tight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gunn gently ease the door open. He looked around and then turned and slowly withdrew back out the door, leaving the two of them alone. Angel took in the bedroom's state. In a word, it had been destroyed. Smashed belongings and clothes were thrown about, but what really concerned him was the blood. Someone had fought like hell. He turned his attention back to the woman in his arms and held her tighter. "Shh, it's okay, Cordy. Whatever happened, it's going to be okay. I'm going to take care of you," he whispered.

After several minutes of outright sobbing, Cordy finally began to calm down, her tears turning from crying convulsively into occasional weeping. "Cordy, what happened?" he asked softly.

"I-I ordered a pizza for dinner. When I turned around to put it on the table so I could pay him, he held a gun to my back, forcing his way inside. He attacked me," she whispered in a voice so soft he knew only his vampire hearing allowed him to hear her.

"Did he--" he started, unable to finish the thought.

Cordy nodded her head against his chest, where he still held her. "Yes." The mere admission seemed to be more than she could handle; she broke into tears all over again, sobbing. It broke his heart every bit as much as it did the first time, if not more so. Angel just held her as tightly as he possibly could, hoping it would bring her the comfort she so desperately needed.

When her tears had subsided for the second time, she looked up at him tearfully. He gently brushed her remaining tears away and smiled sadly. "We need to get you to the hospital, Cordy," he told her softly.

"I know," she whispered, still clinging to him. "I'm scared."

"I'll be right there with you for as long as you want me to be," he vowed.

"Promise?"

"I promise," he whispered softly. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"Thank you."

"There's no place I'd rather be than by your side," he admitted. "Why don't you get dressed and I'll have Gunn drive your car back to the hotel."

"Okay."

***

Angel softly shut the bedroom door behind him and then joined Gunn in the living room.

"Hey," he greeted his friend, who was sitting on the sofa, a scowl on his face.

"Hey. What happened?"

"Just what it looks like. She had pizza delivered for dinner and the delivery man attacked her."

"My God. What do we do?"

"For tonight, you drive her car back to the hotel. I'm taking her to the hospital. Tomorrow, we start looking for the piece of trash that did this to her. And then," he paused, looking at Gunn meaningfully. "We make him pay."

Gunn nodded understandingly. "You got her keys?"

Angel pulled his own key ring from his pants pocket and pulled off Cordy's spare key. "Here you go."

"Is there anything else you want me to do? Is there anything she needs?" Gunn asked.

Angel shook his head sadly. "No. Right now, I think the only thing she really needs--"

"Is you," Gunn finished for him.

Angel looked up at him, surprise flickering across his handsome face, if only for an instant. "I know this is probably the worst time ever to be having this conversation, but tell her how you feel about her. We already know you love her.

"Already know?" Angel asked, finally finding his voice.

Gunn had to smile. For a vampire, he sure was clueless sometimes. "Yes, Angel. It's written across your face every time you look at her, every time you talk about her." He paused before continuing his earlier thought. "Angel, tell her. It may be the very thing that will get her through this."

Angel contemplated that for a moment. "I don't know if now is the best time to tell her," he told the other man.

"Then wait until you get back from the hospital," Gunn told him. "Hell, you could even wait until tomorrow. But tell her, Angel."

Angel nodded and Gunn walked to the door. "I'll see you back at the hotel," he told the vampire before slipping out of the apartment, closing the door softly behind him.

***

Angel knocked softly on Cordy's bedroom door and opened it when he heard a soft voice telling him to come inside. Inside, Cordy was dressed in jeans and looking for a shirt that would hide her bruises. She stared forlornly into her closet.

"What's wrong?"

She turned to face him with a sigh. "I'm trying to find a shirt that doesn't show the world what happened, that doesn't scream victim," she admitted, a hitch in her voice.

Angel took her hand, leading her to the bed. He gently pushed her into it and sat down beside her. "Cordy, it doesn't matter what other people may or may not think," he told her, pushing a piece of dark hair behind her ear.

"But, Angel, look at me," she told him, indicating her bruised face.

Angel smiled softly. "I am. Do you know what I see?" he asked softly.

"A weak woman, a helpless victim?"

Angel shook his head. "No, Cordy. I see a beautiful woman who doesn't know it. I see a strong, intelligent woman. I see a woman who cares more about others than she does herself. But most of all, I see--"

"What?" she asked, her hazel eyes searching his dark ones.

"I see the woman who captured my heart. I love you, Cordy."

With those words, a beautiful transformation overtook Cordy's face. For the first time since he'd arrived, Cordy smiled. It was her trademark Cordelia Chase smile. "I love you, too, Angel. So very much."

Angel smiled, amazed that he could feel such happiness, if only for a moment, in the midst of so much heartache. Angel squeezed the hand he still held. "Go on, find a shirt and let's get out of here."

Cordy nodded and walked to her closet once again. This time, she pulled out the first shirt that she saw. It just happened to be one of Angel's favorites, a deep pink blouse with small pink buttons. She disappeared into the bathroom to change while Angel took a good look around her home, surveying the damage. He sighed. He didn't know if much was salvageable. More than that, he wondered if she'd ever feel safe there again. Would he ever feel like it was safe for her to be here?

Cordy emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later and put on her shoes. "You ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she told him, switching off the bedroom light and walking into the dining room where her pizza still sat, a silent reminder of all that had happened. The look on her face when she noticed the box sitting there made his chest hurt. He picked it up, carried it to the kitchen and tossed it into the trash can with a little more force than was strictly necessary.

Meanwhile, Cordy walked to the living room to wait on Angel. She collapsed into her favorite chair, closing her eyes for a moment. She was exhausted.

When Angel walked in a split second later, this is the scene that greeted him. He just looked at her for an instant. No matter how many bruises covered her face and body, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was, in a word, gorgeous. Even more than that, she had a heart of gold. Somehow, that heart had seen something in his non-beating one and found its' kindred soul.

Cordy slowly opened her eyes to see Angel smiling softly at her, which prompted a small smile of her own. "Where's your jacket?" he asked.

She nodded at the hall closet, just inside the door. "In the closet," she told him.

"I'll get it," he told her, walking to the closet. Opening it, he stood looking at the half dozen or so jackets hanging inside. He grabbed the black leather jacket she'd had on when she left the hotel earlier that night. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

He walked back to where she was just rising, wincing as she did so. "You'll probably be sore for a few days," he told her, holding open her jacket for her. She slipped her arms through it, smiling her thanks. "Let's go," he said.

"Wait!" Cordy stopped him, as if remembering something.

"What is it?"

"I need to check something. I need to see if--" she said, hurrying past him and into her bedroom once again. She flipped on the light and hurried over to where her jewelry box sat on her dresser, looking for the one piece of jewelry that meant more than all the rest. "Here it is," she sighed in relief as she held up the aquamarine necklace.

"Cordy, that's the one I bought for you, isn't it? The one I brought you back from Sri Lanka?"

Cordy smiled up at him. "Yes."

"But why were you so worried about this one? I can see it was lying there amid diamonds and other gems," he told her, indicating her jewelry box, where diamonds and sapphires lay against the velvet of the box. "Why is this the one you wanted to be sure was still there. Those other stones have to be infinitely more valuable than this one."

"Not to me," she told him.

He looked at her, a question shining in his dark eyes. "What do you mean?"

"This is the one that means the most to me."

"Why?"

"It means so much because you bought it for me. You picked it out for me," she told him tenderly, stroking the surface of the aforementioned necklace.

Angel smiled softly, clearly touched by her words. Cordy reached up, intending to fasten it around her neck, but the action was so painful she brought her arms down again, a quiet moan escaping her mouth. Angel gently took it from her hands. "Let me," he whispered, dropping it over her head and fastening it behind her neck. Finished, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind as she leaned into him, feeling his strong presence behind her. He leaned down, bringing his face to rest against her cheek. She smiled. He turned his head slightly, kissing her cheek. After a moment, he took her hand and quietly led her out of the bedroom once again.

Cordy stopped at the dining room table to retrieve the bag she'd left there earlier in the evening. They continued into the living room and to the door, where she stopped once again to recover her wallet from the table, where she'd placed it when she had taken the pizza from her attacker's hands. She dropped it into her bag, after making sure everything was there.

Angel kissed the top of her head. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Cordy nodded as Angel reached around her to open the door. She stepped into the hallway while Angel pulled out his key ring to lock the door behind them. She took Angel's hand in hers, lacing her fingers through his as they made their way outside to his convertible.


	4. Chapter 4

"Fred, I'm home," Gunn called as he stepped inside the lobby of the hotel he now called home.

Fred walked out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of popcorn. "Did you find her?' she asked, munching on a piece of popcorn. "Where's Angel?"

"Yeah, we found her. He's with Cordy," Gunn answered. He took the bowl from her and set it on the front counter. She looked at him, a question shining in her brown eyes.

"Charles, what's wrong?" she asked. A horrible feeling spread through her. It had begun the moment the two men had set foot outside the hotel and had grown with each passing moment. Now, it felt like someone had a viselike grip on her heart. Whatever it was, she knew it was bad. Really bad. "Charles?" she asked, almost pleading for him to tell her everything was okay.

***

Angel opened the driver's side door of his black Plymouth Belvedere GTX convertible and held it open for Cordy to slip inside. When she had done so, he slid in beside her and put the key in the ignition. "Ready?" he asked, turning the key and putting the car into drive.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Cordy told him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He smiled down at her, his eyes filled with the most tender of expressions.

Angel pulled out of the parking lot of Cordy's apartment building and turned down highway 9, heading for Los Angeles General. He glanced over at Cordy; her eyes were already drifting shut. He checked the time on the clock on the dashboard. Midnight. She had to be completely exhausted. She'd already had a long night and it wasn't over yet. Who knew how long it would take them to do the exam at the hospital. He just wanted to get her back to the hotel, surrounded by familiar things and people who loved her.

***

"Charles?" Fred asked again. "What happened? Is Cordy okay?"

Gunn sighed and pulled Fred over to the red sofa outside of Angel's office, sitting down beside her. What he was about to tell the woman he loved was, without a doubt, the most difficult thing he'd ever had to do. "Cordy had pizza delivered for dinner and then the delivery man attacked her," he told her softly.

"Oh, my God," Fred whispered. "Oh, Charles."

Gunn leaned back against the sofa and pulled her to him. "I know, baby, I know."

"Where are they now?" she asked as tears made their way silently down her face.

"Angel said he was taking her to the hospital."

"Poor Cordy," Fred murmured, sliding her arms around his waist. Gunn added his silent agreement, his heart breaking for their friend. He knew she was now in the best possible hands, though. Angel would rather die than let anyone hurt her again.

***

As Angel carefully executed a right turn, his mind took him back to that moment in her bedroom when they'd acknowledged their love for one another. He'd loved her for so long he couldn't remember what it was like not loving her. She was the first thing he thought of in the morning and the last thing his mind saw before he drifted off to sleep at night. Never, in all his 249 years did he ever think she'd love him back. Not like that, at least. He knew she loved him. Hell, she'd told him as much on more than one occasion. But he'd never imagined that she could be in love with him.

Angel smiled, thinking about the woman who slept against his shoulder. What could he have possibly done right to deserve the love of this incredibly beautiful and amazing woman? He remembered meeting her again after he'd come to L.A. "Are you still grr?" she'd asked. He chuckled. Oh, how she'd grown as a person since then, but that beautiful young girl was still there. She still liked to wear pretty things. And she still had a thing for shoes. As she liked to say, there was no reason she couldn't wear fabulous shoes while helping those helpless.

***

"Is there anything we can do for her?" Fred asked Gunn quietly some ten minutes later. "Is there anything she needs?"

"Besides Angel, you mean?"

Fred had to smile at that. "Yes."

"I asked Angel the same thing. He said there wasn't anything she needed." He smiled, a grin flickering across his face.

"What?" she asked.

"I told him to tell her how he feels about her, that we already know."

"What did he say to that?" Fred wanted to know.

"He was surprised. Surprised that we knew. That is, until I explained it to him."

"What did you tell him?"

Gunn smiled, remembering the look on the vampire's face. "I just told him about all those looks he gets whenever he looks at her or talks about her."

"Did he try denying it?"

Gunn shook his head. "Nope. He just said he didn't think it was the best time for it. I just told him to wait until tomorrow if he wanted, but to tell her." He sobered, remembering what else he'd told his friend. "I told him that I thought it would be the very thing that would get her through this."

Fred nodded her head in agreement. "Love will pull you through anything."

***

Angel looked at Cordy briefly before returning his attention to the red light they were stopped in front of. As it turned green, he remembered a night not so long ago, a time when she'd looked just like she did now. Her head had been on his shoulder, her mouth open slightly, snoring softly.

He recalled that night like it was only yesterday. He'd surprised her with tickets to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She had dragged Fred to Hollywood Boulevard to help her pick out a dress. Okay, drag may be a bit of a stretch, he admitted. Fred's eyes had lit up at the prospect of shopping with Cordelia. What was it about women and shopping anyway? When they had returned from their day out, which had ended up including not only a dress, but also shoes, accessories and a trip to the salon to get her nails done--all on his credit card, he might add, they had rushed up to Cordy's room at the hotel, giggling like two schoolgirls.

When they'd come back downstairs twenty minutes later, he'd asked what they'd gotten. He'd never forget the look on Cordy's face as she'd smiled and said, "You'll see. Later." His mind had been distracted the rest of the day. Unable to concentrate on anything else, he kept imagining what had been in those boxes and bags.

Around 7 that evening, he had headed upstairs to begin getting ready. Cordy had headed upstairs half an hour before, claiming that she needed more time to get ready than he did. He'd just smiled as he watched her go.

***

"Remember that date that wasn't a 'date'?" Gunn asked, making the universal sign for a quote with his fingers.

Fred giggled. "How could I forget? I've never seen Angel so nervous and excited before."

Gunn nodded. "I almost felt sorry for him." He smiled, remembering. "Almost." In truth, it had been funny to watch the vampire's reaction.

***

Angel tried not to fidget as he waited impatiently for Cordy to come downstairs, but he was failing miserably. He kept looking up from the book he was reading, hoping to see Cordy coming down the staircase. Pretending to read was more accurate, he knew Cordy would say. He'd read the same paragraph four times now.

"Pretend to read any good books lately?" Cordy's soft voice asked, interrupting his thoughts. She smiled at him knowingly. He slammed the book shut and tossed it aside.

It was then that he took in her appearance. She was dressed in a chestnut brown floor-length satin evening gown that matched her hazel eyes. It didn't have sleeves, but straps that showed off her summer tan. Her hair was piled on top of her head, with just a few loose tendrils that framed her face. In her ears, she wore diamond drop earrings. A matching necklace sparkled from where it rested against her throat. She took his breath away. "Cordy, you look breathtaking," he told her softly. While she normally might have made a joke about him not having any breath, the softness in his eyes stopped her.

"Thank you," she whispered, stepping up to him. She reached out to straighten his slightly askew bow-tie. Resting her palms on his chest, she smiled up at him. "You look handsome tonight, Angel." His only response was the smile he got whenever something she'd said touched him. She knew she was the only one capable of drawing that smile out of him.

"Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm.

"Yes," she smiled. Then, remembering, "oh, my shawl."

"I'll get it," he said, hurrying over to the staircase and retrieving it from where she'd left it on the banister. He hurried back to her and draped it around her shoulders. She pulled it tighter around her and slipped her arm through his. "Ready?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

They were halfway across the lobby before a voice stopped them. "Wait!" Fred exclaimed. Turning, they saw the young Texan standing there, a camera in one hand and a smile on her face. "You two look too pretty not to have your picture taken," she explained.

"Fred, we're just going to the symphony," Angel told her patiently.

"So? That means you can't have your picture taken to remember this night?" Fred asked.

"She's right, Angel," Cordy told him, slipping her arm around his waist. "Now smile." Angel looked from Fred to Cordelia and knew that he was outnumbered. He smiled and slipped his arm around Cordelia as Fred snapped not one picture, but several. After about ten minutes, she seemed satisfied and turned off the camera.

"Have fun, you guys. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Fred," Cordelia told their friend before slipping her arm through Angel's again as they made their way to the Hyperion's doors.

***

At the symphony, they'd enjoyed themselves more than either of them had in a long time. The music was amazing, the company even better. They hadn't spoken or thought about demons or anything work-related the whole night. It was a refreshing change for them both.

On the way home, she'd been tired, but happy, he knew. She'd leaned her head on his shoulder just like she was now and fell asleep. When they'd arrived back at the hotel, he hadn't wanted to wake her so he'd carried her inside and up the stairs to her room. He'd gently laid her on her bed and removed her high heel shoes. He'd covered her with a blanket and dropped a kiss onto her hair. "Good night, Cordy," he whispered, shutting the door behind him.

***

"I just wish there was something we could do," Fred told her boyfriend sadly.

"Me too," Gunn agreed. He suddenly got an idea. "Whatever happened to those photographs you took of them before they left for the symphony?"

"They're still on the camera. Why?"

"I have an idea. Come on, get your coat."

"What is it?" she asked.

"You'll see," he told her as she slipped on her coat and shoes. He grabbed the camera's SD memory card and they were out the door a moment later.

***

Twenty minutes later, Angel pulled the convertible up in front of Los Angeles General. Cordy had woken up just five minutes before they'd arrived at the hospital. She now held tightly to Angel's hand, scared to death of what she knew she'd have to endure inside. Angel pulled her to him and just held her for a long moment. "Cordy, I know you're scared, but it's going to be okay," he promised. "And I'll be there every step of the way."

Cordy looked up at him tearfully. "Let's get this over with."


	5. Chapter 5

Angel stepped out of the convertible and turned to offer his hand to Cordelia. She took it and stepped out beside him. He squeezed her hand as they made their way to the door.

Inside, Angel and Cordy waited in line at the front desk. Cordy began to tremble so Angel put his arm around her and pulled her close. After ten minutes of waiting, they finally made it to the front of the line. "Can I help you?" an older nurse kindly asked.

"Yes. She was attacked in her home," Angel answered for Cordy. She was still trembling too much to speak.

"Please follow me," the nurse told Cordy. "Would you like your friend to come with you?"

Cordy nodded. "Yes, please," Cordy managed to answer.

The nurse led them to a small private room and ushered them inside. "The doctor will be with you just as soon as he can," she told Cordy. Cordy looked at Angel, terror written across her face.

"Is there a female doctor available tonight?" Angel asked, reading the look in Cordy's eyes.

The nurse nodded with understanding. "Yes. It may be a bit longer wait, but yes. Let me know if you need anything in the meantime," she told them, closing the door softly behind her.

Angel sat down on the sofa and held out his hand to Cordy. "Come here, Cordy," he told her. Taking his hand, she allowed him to pull her down so she was sitting beside him. Tears filled her eyes and slipped down her face as she attempted to wipe them away. But it was no use. They fell faster than she could stop them. Without a word, Angel pulled her into his arms. And her tears turned into sobs. "Oh, Cordy," he whispered. He wrapped both arms around her and held her tight, trying to offer comfort in the only way he knew how.

After a few more minutes of crying, Cordy's tears turned to intermittent sniffles. "I'm sorry," she whispered, not looking up at him.

"Cordy," he said, lifting her face so her eyes met his. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But Angel--"

"No buts. There is nothing to be sorry for," he told her, brushing away a tear that had escaped. "I love you and there is nothing that will change that. Ever."

"I love you, Angel," she told him, a trace of a smile on her face.

Angel smiled. "I love you, too, Cordy."

***

Forty-five minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door before it was quietly opened. "Hi, I'm Dr. Riley," she said, pulling a chair closer and sitting down.

"Cordelia Chase," Cordy said.

"Angel," Angel said when she looked at him.

"You were attacked in your home?" she asked, looking at her notes and then at Cordy

Cordy nodded. "Yes."

"Okay. First, I'm going to take your information and medical history, if that's okay."

"Okay," Cordy agreed.

"Full name?"

"Cordelia Elizabeth Chase."

"Birth date?"

"May 22, 1981."

"Address?"

Cordy looked at Angel, a question shining in her eyes. He nodded.

"1481 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90026."

"Telephone number?"

"213-555-0162," she answered, giving her the hotel's number.

After Dr. Riley had gotten all the information she needed from Cordy, she led them to an examination room, closing the door behind them. "Are those the clothes you were wearing when you were attacked?" she asked, indicating Cordy's jeans and shirt.

Cordy shook her head. "No."

"Do you still have them?"

"Yes."

"Good. We'll send an officer over to collect them or you can bring them in when you feel up to it."

"Gunn can do it in the morning, Cordy," Angel told her softly.

She nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Only you should touch the clothes themselves. This is to avoid contamination. Put them in this paper bag," the doctor told Cordy, handing her a bag with 'evidence' stamped on it in large block letters. Angel silently took the bag from her, folded it up and slipped it into the inner pocket of his leather jacket.

"Are you ready to begin?' Dr. Riley asked, laying an examination table paper on the floor.

"As ready as I'm going to be."

"What I need you to do is stand on this paper and take your clothes off. The paper will catch anything that may have stuck to your body."

"Do you want me to wait outside, Cordy?" Angel asked. He could see the conflicting emotions dancing in her eyes. On the one hand, she wasn't ready for him to see her without clothes, but she didn't want to be left alone, either.

"If I may, I have a suggestion," Dr. Riley told them.

"What?" Angel asked.

"If you'd like to stay, you can wait over there," she told him, indicating a space about five feet over. "We can pull that curtain so you can't see anything and then when she's dressed again, you can come back out."

"That sound okay, Cordy?" Angel asked.

"Yes."

The curtain was pulled and he dropped into the lone chair in the space. He sighed , wishing more than anything else he could spare her from having to endure what was happening to her. He just wanted to hold her and protect her from all the bad in the world.

On the other side of the curtain, Cordy carefully removed her clothing and dropped them onto a nearby chair. She'd never felt so embarrassed in her life as she did standing there with no clothes on.

"Sit up here on the examination table," Dr. Riley told her after she'd collected any evidence from the paper on the floor and sealed it into a bag.

Dr. Riley examined the bruises that covered her breasts and thighs and took photographs to document her injuries. She opened the closet door and removed a hospital gown, which she handed to Cordelia. "You can put this on now," she told her.

Cordelia quickly slid the gown on and tied it. She sat back down on the exam table. "Please lie back," the doctor requested, draping a blanket over her. She knew patients liked to be as covered as much as possible and blankets helped them feel that way. Cordy lay back as the doctor prepared to continue the exam.

"Angel?," Cordy called quietly, but his vampire hearing heard her soft words.

"Yes?"

"I'm covered now. You can come out," she replied softly as a tear fell. "I need you," she whispered.

The pain in those three little words broke his heart all over again. He was at her side in seconds thanks to his vampire speed. "I'm here, Cordy," he told her, taking her hand in his and brushing her tears away.

The loving gesture brought fresh tears to her eyes, which turned into sobs. Angel moved closer to her and turned his back so it was blocking the doctor doing the exam, giving her a bit of privacy despite the things being done to her. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Shh, it's okay. We're going to get through this," he told her softly.

"We?"

"Yes, we. You're not going to face this alone. I'll be here for as long as you want me."

"What if I'm never normal again?"

"Cordy, you weren't normal before. Besides which, I'm not exactly the picture of normalcy," he told her, smiling.

This earned him a laugh. "I'll have you know I was very normal," she told him with a mock pout.

"Was this before or after you glowed?" he asked with a smirk.

She smiled at him tenderly, love shining in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For knowing just what to say; for knowing exactly what I needed. But most of all, thank you for being here."

"There's no place I'd rather be."

"I love you, Angel."

"And I love you."

"I'm going to perform a vaginal examination now," Dr. Riley interrupted their private conversation. At those words, Angel could see Cordelia visibly tense. Her grip on his hand tightened, the fear returned to her eyes and tears threatened once again.

Dr. Riley examined Cordelia's perineal and inner thigh area with a Wood's lamp, used to detect semen stains. She swabbed the areas of fluorescence that she found with saline-moistened cotton swabs. She combed the pubic hair over a sheet of paper, hoping to yield evidence that could lead the police to the rapist. She also cut a few of the hairs for further examination.

She made a note of the condition of Cordelia's hymen on her clipboard. She examined the vaginal walls and cervix for lacerations and abrasions before writing that down, as well. She inserted a cotton swab into Cordelia and collected vaginal secretions to be sent to the lab.

While Dr. Riley was performing the tests and taking samples, silent tears slid down Cordelia's face. Angel knew there was nothing he could do so he just held tightly to her hand and brushed her tears away, all the while praying it would be over soon.

Dr. Riley pulled the bottom of her hospital gown down and stepped up beside her, opposite Angel. "Okay, you can get dressed again and then I'll be back to talk to you about the exam."

Cordelia nodded. "Okay."

"I'll be back in a little while," Dr. Riley told her before closing the door softly behind her.

After she left, Cordy started to sit up, but the pain in her shoulders and upper arms stopped her momentarily. "Oh, that hurts," she mumbled.

"Let me help you, Cordy," Angel told her and gently helped her into a sitting position.

"Thanks, Angel," she told him, smiling briefly.

He brushed away a piece of hair that had fallen into her face. "Anything for you, Cordy."

She smiled softly. "Will you get my clothes?"

Angel nodded. "Sure." He walked over to the chair where she'd tossed her clothes earlier in the night and retrieved the discarded clothing. Walking back to her side, he handed her the clothing and motioned to the curtain once again. "I'll wait behind there."

"Okay."

Angel walked behind the curtain, pulling it behind him and waited for Cordy to get dressed. Once she was blocked from his view, she quickly slid the hospital gown off and slid her panties and jeans back on. Zipping them, she put on her bra and then put her arms through her shirt and buttoned it up. Dressed now, she felt better. "You can come out, Angel. I'm dressed."

When Angel came out from behind the curtain, he found Cordy sitting on a chair putting on her socks and shoes. She looked up with a small smile. "Hey."

He sat down beside her and took her hand in his. "Hey."

***

Dr. Riley knocked on the door before opening it a few minutes later. "The results of the tests we performed tonight will be back in about two weeks. When they come in, I'll call and have you come in to discuss the results."

"Okay," Cordelia agreed.

"Pregnancy as a result of rape occurs in about five percent of female victims. Would you like emergency contraception to help prevent pregnancy from occurring?"

Cordelia nodded slowly. "Yes."

Dr. Riley handed her two white pills and handed her the cup of water she'd been holding. "If you start feeling nauseous, just take some anti-nausea medication like Dramamine."

Cordelia swallowed first one pill and then the other.

"It's normal for your next period to be different from normal. It may be earlier or later than it normally is and it also could be heavier, lighter or more spotty than it usually is."

Dr. Riley handed Cordelia a prescription, which Angel silently took and slid into his jacket. "This will help with the pain." She gave Cordelia a folder with information about coping with sexual assault. "One piece of advice: attend counseling. They can help with coping with the assault."

Angel nodded. "Thank you."

She nodded and slipped back out the door. "Angel, I want to go home," Cordy told him once they were alone.

Angel took her hand and they walked hand in hand out to the convertible. Once there, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tender hug. "Let's go home," he whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

Back at the hotel, Angel put the car into park and looked over at Cordy. She had gotten quieter the closer they'd gotten to the Hyperion. Now, she was silent. "What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous," she admitted, playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Cordy, it's going to be okay," he assured her.

"But what if they think differently of me because of what happened?"

"They won't."

"How do you know?" she asked quietly, finally looking up at him.

"Because Gunn and Fred love you."

Cordy took a deep breath and nodded, knowing he was right. "Okay."

Angel stepped out of the vehicle and held the door open for Cordy, shutting it behind her. As they crossed the street, Cordy slipped her hand in his. He squeezed it reassuringly.

When they stepped inside the Hyperion's lobby, Cordy was suddenly engulfed in a bear hug from one Charles Gunn. "We're going to fix this, Cordy," he told her.

Gunn stepped back and Fred wrapped her arms around Cordy. "It doesn't matter what happened," Fred told her. "You're still our friend and we love you." It was exactly the right thing to say and it showed in Cordy's eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Angel stepped up behind Cordy, sensing her turbulent emotions. "Let's go to bed, Cordy," he told her softly. He knew she'd probably had about all she could take for one day. She nodded her head in response.

***

Upstairs, Cordy dropped onto Angel's bed with a sigh. He sat down beside her and slipped his arm around her, pulling her to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He just held her and rubbed her back. They didn't talk, just reveled in the peacefulness of the moment.

They sat there like that for a good while, neither wanting to break the spell they seemed to be under. That is, until Cordelia's stomach growled. Angel chuckled quietly. "Hungry?"

"Starved," she admitted.

"Is there something in particular you want?"

Cordy shook her head. "No. Anything is fine."

"One Angel special it is, then."

She laughed quietly. "Angel special, huh? What exactly is that?"

He smiled. "You'll see."

She raised her head off his shoulder and smiled. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me feel like I can get past this. For loving me."

"You will get past this. And I love you more than life itself." He paused. "Why don't you rest and I'll go make you something to eat?"

She yawned. "Okay," she said, moving to lay her head on his pillow when he stood. She was asleep instantly. He covered her with a throw blanket and opened the door, closing it softly behind him.

***

"How's she doing?" Gunn asked when Angel stepped into the lobby of the Hyperion a few minutes later.

Angel considered his answer for a moment. "Exhausted and hungry. In pain, physically and emotionally. I think she'll be okay, though. Eventually."

Gunn nodded. "She's tough. She'll get through this."

Fred watched the vampire for a moment, noticing a calmness to him despite the trauma of the night. That's when a sudden realization dawned. "You told her." It wasn't a question.

Angel smiled softly. "Yeah. I did," he confirmed.

Gunn looked from one to the other. "Told her what?"

Fred smiled at her boyfriend. "Angel told Cordy how he feels about her."

Gunn grinned. "Good."

Angel nodded. "It feels good to finally be able to tell her."

"Angel, you tell her all the time," Fred told him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confusion written across his face.

Fred smiled. "The love you feel for her is in everything you do. It's in your touch whenever you touch her. It's in your eyes when you look at her. It's in your voice when you talk to or about her. My God, Angel, it's everywhere."

Angel smiled. "I never realized."

Gunn shook his head. "Neither did she. Not really. She knew how much you needed her, but never the depth of your love."

Angel looked from one to the other. "Thank you. Both of you."

Fred nodded. "You're welcome. Now, what are you doing standing here with us? Go make her something to eat. She needs you."

Without a word, Angel strode into the Hyperion's kitchen and began pulling out things from the refrigerator and cupboard. Dropping his supplies onto the counter, he retrieved a skillet from a nearby cabinet. Turning on the stove, he set the skillet on the stovetop.

He pulled out two slices of bread and started buttering them. Checking the skillet, he found it was hot enough and placed the one piece of buttered bread face down in it. He opened two slices of American cheese and placed them on top of the bread and put one slice of bread on top of the other. Letting it melt slightly, he flipped the sandwich to brown the opposite side.

As the cheese was melting, he opened a can of tomato soup and poured it into a saucepan on the stove. He added milk to the pan and gave it a stir.

He opened the cabinet and pulled down the bed tray from the shelf. Walking to the cabinet that housed the dishes, he removed a soup bowl and small plate. He also pulled down a glass. He opened the drawer at his waist and removed a spoon. He carried the dishes back to where he'd left the bed tray and set them atop it.

He slid the grilled cheese onto the plate and poured the soup into the bowl. He cut the sandwich in half and added a napkin to the tray. He retrieved the chocolate milk from the refrigerator and filled the glass before returning it to the second shelf. He removed a bag of blood from a shelf and pulled down a glass. Cutting the top of the bag off, he poured the red liquid into a glass and put the glass on the tray.

He double checked that the stove was turned off and picked up the tray, heading for the stairs and the woman waiting upstairs.

***

Angel quietly eased the door to room 217 open and set the tray on a table. He sat down beside Cordy to wake her, but she stirred in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. "Hey. Is that food I smell?" she asked, her stomach growling once again.

Angel smiled. "Yeah. Sit up and I'll bring it over to you."

Cordy pulled herself into a sitting position while Angel went to get the tray of food. She was sitting against a pillow when Angel returned a minute later. He set the tray down in front of her and joined her on the bed. "Angel, this is perfect," she told him, picking up half of the grilled cheese and dipping it into the tomato soup. Noticing the glass of blood, she handed it to him. "You haven't eaten, either?"

He shook his head. "No. I was out looking for you."

"Oh, Angel. How did you know?"

"I just had a bad feeling. I think I was driving Fred and Gunn crazy," he laughed.

Cordelia chuckled. "I can imagine."

He took a drink of his blood. "Are you trying to say something?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"Of course not," Cordelia smiled. "Okay, yes, I am," she admitted, putting a spoonful of soup in her mouth.

"And what are you trying to say?" he asked.

"Just that when you get a feeling involving me, you're usually relentless."

"I can't help it. I love you so much and I don't want anything bad to happen to you." He set his empty glass down softly. "But I failed you tonight."

Cordy reached over and took his hand, pulling on it, urging him to come closer. He took the hint and moved so he was sitting next to her. "Angel, you did not fail me. You were there for me when I needed you most." She paused, thinking about what was to come. "I know this is not over, not by a long shot and there is no doubt in my mind that you'll be there every step of the way."

"I will," he promised.

She ran a hand across his face tenderly, letting it come to rest on his cheek. "I know you will," she whispered. "And I love you."

Angel smiled softly. "I love you, too."

Cordelia smiled, but her smile soon turned into a yawn. "Tired?" he asked.

"Exhausted."

"Let me take these downstairs," he told her, indicating their empty dishes, "and we can get ready for bed."

"Sounds good."

***

Angel made his way downstairs carrying the tray full of dishes. The lobby was empty, with only a lamp from Cordy's desk to light his way. Gunn and Fred must have went to bed, he thought to himself. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was almost six in the morning. And no wonder. He yawned, suddenly realizing how tired he was. It had been a long day.

He carried the tray into the kitchen and opened the dishwasher. He turned on the water and began rinsing the dishes, including the pots still on the stove. After rinsing them, he loaded them inside the dishwasher. He put a dishwashing tab inside, closed the door and turned it on to let it work.

Wiping his hands, he turned off the light and hurried back upstairs to Cordy.

***

Upstairs again, Angel gave Cordy the pair of pajamas she kept at the hotel to change into and gently pushed her in the direction of the bathroom. He slipped out of his black pants and blue button down shirt, tossing them onto a nearby chair. He pulled on the navy striped pajama pants that Cordy had given him last month for his birthday. He sat down and waited for her to return.

She returned a few minutes later dressed in pink and white polka dots with her hair pulled back. He pulled her into his arms, just holding her. "It's going to be okay, Cordy. We'll get through whatever is coming."

Pulling apart, Angel gently brushed his lips across hers in a kiss filled with so much love and tenderness that it made her smile despite the trauma of the last few hours. Her smile prompted one of his own.

"Oh, Angel, look," she told him, pointing to the bedside table where a picture frame sat. Picking it up, they saw a chestnut frame with a picture of the two of them taken when they'd went to the symphony. It was one of the many pictures Fred had taken to remember the night. In it, his arm was wrapped around Cordelia, her own arm around his waist. They were smiling like they didn't have a care in the world. And for that one night, they hadn't. For that one night, they weren't a champion and seer for the powers-that-be; they were simply a man and woman enjoying a night at the symphony.

"Our first date," Cordelia whispered, finally admitting aloud what both of them had known it was, even if neither would admit it to anyone.

"Did you do this?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. "No. But who?" he wondered.

"Gunn and Fred," they realized at the same time. Angel made a mental note to thank them in the morning. It was just what Cordy needed, a reminder of happy times.

Angel pulled back the blankets as Cordy gently returned the frame to the bedside table. They slipped into bed together, both noticing how right it felt. He held out his arms to her and she fell into them with a contented sigh. He only hoped that she'd be able to get the rest she needed. He prayed that the memories of the night wouldn't keep her awake. "I love you, Cordy."

"I love you, too, Angel," she whispered as they both closed their eyes and drifted off into slumber.


	7. Chapter 7

Angel slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the dark-haired beauty sleeping in his arms. Cordy's head rested on his chest, her arm draped across his midsection. He smiled. She looked peaceful.

Angel closed his eyes again as he thought about the night before. It broke his heart when he thought about what Cordy had endured at the hands of whatever that piece of trash called himself. He took an unneeded breath, trying to calm the rage he felt inside. Someone had hurt his Cordy--and they would pay; he'd make sure of that.

His thoughts were interrupted by a terrified, "no, please, no." He knew instantly what Cordy was dreaming about and his heart broke all over again.

"Cordy," he spoke into her ear in the hopes of rousing her. It didn't work. She continued to scream out, her voice becoming more and more terrified with each second that passed. He raised his voice, trying to pull her out of her nightmare. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was only minutes, she opened her eyes. Seeing Angel, Cordy's only reaction was to burst into tears.

Angel wrapped both arms around Cordy's slim frame, holding her as tightly as he could as she sobbed. He whispered words of comfort in her ear, hoping they would be enough to calm her down. When her tears finally subsided, she looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"For being so weak," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Cordy, you are the strongest person I have ever known," he told her softly. "I only wish I could have been there for you and protected you from this."

"You're here now and that means more than you'll ever know," she confessed.

"There's no place I'd rather be."

Cordy just smiled as she snuggled deeper into Angel's arms and closed her eyes before drifting off to sleep again.

***

"Do you feel up to going over to your apartment later and getting the clothes you were wearing last night so Gunn can take them over to the hospital for testing?" Angel asked later that morning after Cordy had woken back up.

Cordy sighed. "No," she admitted, "but it's probably best to get it over with anyway."

Angel nodded his head, silently agreeing with her.

***

"Morning," Fred greeted them as they came down the staircase and entered the hotel's lobby.

"Morning," Angel answered the young woman.

"How are you feeling, Cordy?" Fred asked her friend.

Cordy considered her answer for a moment. "Like my world has fallen apart," she answered truthfully. "But on the other hand, I found the one thing I've wanted for a long time."

"What was that?" Gunn asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Love," she said, taking Angel's hand in hers. "Angel's love."

Fred looked up from the cup of coffee she was pouring. "We're thrilled for you," she smiled, looking from one to the other.

"It couldn't happen to two more deserving people," Gunn told them with a smile.

***

Angel and Cordy were lying on the red sofa outside Angel's office later that afternoon, each lost in their own thoughts. "Angel?" Cordy asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we'll catch him?"

He didn't have to ask who she was referring to; he knew. "Yes," he told her without a moment's hesitation.

"What if we don't?"

"We will," he reassured her. "And we won't stop until we do."

"I'm scared, Angel," she admitted softly.

"Of what?"

"Of never feeling safe again. Of him finding me again and killing me this time," she told him as a tear fell down her face and landed on his wrist.

"Hey," he whispered, turning her in his arms so she was facing him. "We're going to get him, Cordy. I promise."

"But he knows where I live," she told him.

"It doesn't matter, Cordy. You're not going back there. Not until this is all over, at least."

"Angel, that could take months. It probably will."

"I don't care. I want you to be and feel safe." He brushed her tears away and smiled softly. "Besides, I love having you here."

Cordy smiled. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

And with those words, Cordy lay her head on Angel's chest as he pulled her closer. They were asleep within minutes.

***

"Look," Fred told her boyfriend quietly, nodding at Angel and Cordy, who were still holding each other in what could only be described as a lover's embrace, fast asleep.

"My God," Gunn commented. "I knew they were in love, but I've never seen them look so much in love before."

"Maybe because they were trying so hard to hide their love from each other," Fred told him.

Gunn nodded. "And now they don't need to."

Fred nodded, smiling softly.

***

"Gunn, we're going to go over to Cordy's apartment later and get the clothes she was wearing last night. When we get back, do you think you could take them to Los Angeles General?" Angel asked.

Gunn nodded. "Sure."

"What for?" Fred asked.

"Testing. It may lead us to who did this to her."

"Do you want me to go over there and collect the clothing myself?" Gunn asked.

"I wish you could, but she has to be the only one to handle the clothes themselves."

"Why?"

"They said it's to avoid contamination."

"Makes sense," Gunn said.

Angel nodded. "Yes, but it makes this ordeal that much harder on her."

"But she has you now, Angel, and that's more than she had before," Fred told him.

"I know. It's just that I want to protect her from this. I love her so much and--"

"Angel, your love will get her through this," Gunn told him.

"But--"

"He's right, Angel," Cordy told him, leaning against the doorway to Angel's office, where they all still sat.

Angel looked up. "Cordy--"

Cordy walked over and sat down beside him on the sofa where he sat. She took his hand in his and smiled gently. "I don't know how I would have survived last night without you. I still don't know how I'm going to get through whatever is coming, but I know I will. Because of you." She paused, thinking. "If I could find any good in this whole thing, it would be the fact that we found each other. Angel, I can't imagine my life without you in it. And I don't want to."

"But why--"

"Angel, the hard truth is that most men would have run the other way once they found out what happened to me. They would see me as used, damaged. But you don't."

"I'm not most men."

Cordelia smiled softly. "No, you are not. You're so much better," she said, touching his face tenderly. "You're my cuddly vampire."

Angel laughed and kissed her sweetly, while Fred and Gunn smiled.

***

"You ready to go, Cordy?" Angel asked when the sun had set.

Cordy looked up from her copy of Cosmo she'd been reading and rubbed her temple.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I have a headache."

Angel walked off without a word, returning a few minutes later, carrying a glass of water and two Tylenol. "Take these," he told her, handing her the pills and water.

She took them gratefully. "Thanks."

He sat down on the sofa and pulled her against him. He rubbed her temples until her headache was gone. "You have magic fingers," she told him. He chuckled.

"We should probably go now," she told him, rising off the sofa and pulling him up.

"Yeah."

She pulled on her leather jacket as he did the same.

"Gunn, Fred," Angel called into the office.

"Yeah?" Gunn asked as he and Fred came out and sat at the front counter.

"We're going now. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Okay. Maybe when everyone gets back, we can get something to eat," Fred suggested.

Cordy nodded. "That sounds good."

Angel took Cordy's hand as they made their way out of the Hyperion's doors and into the Los Angeles night.

***

"You okay?" Angel asked, glancing over at Cordy as they made their way down highway 9 towards Cordy's apartment.

"Yeah," she told him softly, but he wasn't convinced. She'd been quiet ever since they'd left the Hyperion.

Angel reached over and took her hand in his, offering his support. They arrived at her apartment building ten minutes later.

Angel pulled into an empty parking space and turned off the engine. He turned to Cordy, a worried expression on his face. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.

Cordy took a shaky breath and nodded. "As ready as I'm going to be." She opened the convertible's passenger side door. "Let's get this over with."

Angel opened his own door, jogging to catch up with her before she reached the apartment building's entrance.

Inside, Angel and Cordy approached her door with a measure of trepidation. Pausing outside the door, Angel pulled his keys out of his pocket and slipped the key into the keyhole. Turning it, he pushed open the apartment door. Angel stepped aside and let her enter her home before him. However, a minute later he wished he hadn't.

Cordy stepped inside the apartment and her mind took her back. She remembered her attacker pushing his way inside her apartment, a gun to her back. "Cordy," Angel's voice brought her back into the moment. She looked up into his worried face.

"I'm okay, Angel. Come on," she told him before walking towards her bedroom.

Stepping inside the room, she flipped the light switch on the wall and looked around at the destruction that was once her sanctuary from the cruel world she dealt with on a daily basis. She looked at her broken things and clothes strewn about. Her gaze travelled to her bed, remembering the events of last night. Angel watched her, waiting for what was to come and knowing there was nothing he could do, except be there for her. A tear fell down her face and then her legs gave out. She would have fallen if strong arms wouldn't have caught her. "I've got you, Cordy," he whispered into her ear as he guided her to the bed.

Cordy didn't say anything, just let the tears fall. Her gaze fell onto the discarded clothing she'd tossed in the corner the night before. And her silent tears turned into heartwrenching sobs. Angel silently pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, whispering words of comfort in her ear. "Shh, it's okay, baby. I'm here." She continued to sob for a few minutes more, but his soothing words seemed to do the trick. Her sadness turned from heartbreaking sobs into silent tears. She looked up into eyes so full of love. "Thank you for being here."

"Where else would I be?" he asked.

She knew that he was completely serious and that brought a smile to her face for just an instant. She leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love you, Angel."

He wiped away her remaining tears with the tips of his thumbs. "I love you, too, Cordy."

After several more minutes had passed, Cordy slowly rose from the bed and walked in the direction of the discarded clothing in the corner. Angel removed the folded up paper bag from inside his leather jacket and opened it with a shake. He silently handed her paper bag and stood back so as to not contaminate the clothing. She picked up her bra and bloodstained blouse and dropped them into the bag. Looking around, she spotted her jeans and panties lying near the door where he'd tossed them when he'd ripped them off her body. She dropped them into the bag, as well. She walked to her chair and seized the bloodstained sheets and threw them into the bag with the clothing. She carefully folded over the bag and set it on the floor with a sigh.

Angel came to stand in front of her, wordlessly pulling her into his arms, just holding her. They stood there like that for a full five minutes, neither saying a word. When they pulled apart, Angel picked up the bag and took her hand. "Let's get out of here," he told her.


	8. Chapter 8

Back at the hotel, Angel handed the paper bag to Gunn without a word. Gunn took the bag and slipped into his jacket. "Who do I need to give this to?" he asked.

"Dr. Riley," Angel answered the other man.

Gunn nodded. "I'll be back soon."

"Thanks, Gunn."

"No problem," Gunn told him and walked off into the night.

"Come on, Cordy," he told her, helping her off with her jacket and hanging both it and his own on the hook on the wall. "Let's sit down and relax until Gunn gets back."

She nodded and sat down on the red sofa with a sigh. He sat down and pulled her against him. She lay her head on his chest and stretched her legs out between his. "How are you doing?" he asked softly, rubbing her back gently.

She looked up at him, tears glistening in her hazel eyes. "I'm not sure," she admitted quietly. "I didn't expect that to be so--"

"Hard?" he asked.

"Yeah. I can't imagine ever feeling safe there again," she whispered as one lone tear slid down her cheek.

"Hey," he told her softly as he brushed away her tear. His soft words only made her cry harder, turning her one tear into heartbreaking sobs. "Shh, it's okay. I've got you."

After several minutes of crying, she drew a shuddering breath and looked up into his worried face. "You okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm just so tired." He nodded knowingly. "How about we lie down until Gunn gets back?"

"That sounds really good," she told him, standing up so he could slide down into a reclining position. Once he was comfortable, she lay down in his arms, savoring the way he made her feel for a moment. Safe. Loved. She closed her eyes and was asleep within minutes. He soon followed suit.

***

When Gunn returned to the Hyperion an hour later, he found Angel and Cordy still asleep in each other's arms. Quietly, so as not to wake them, he made his way to Angel's office, looking for Fred. The young brunette looked up with a smile as he closed the door softly behind him. He slipped out of his jacket, hanging it on the hook on the wall and sat down beside her. "Hey," he told her, leaning over and kissing her softly.

"Hey yourself. How did it go? Did you have any problems?"

"It was fine. No problems. Had to wait a little while so they could find her doctor for me, but that was it."

Fred nodded. "Good." She paused, thinking. "What happens now?"

"I don't really know. We should probably find that out from Angel soon. All I know is he said we're going to find the piece of trash that did this to her," he told her. "And you know Angel. When someone hurts Cordy, guy better run like hell cause he will find him and he will pay."

"Yeah," she agreed. "I don't think he'll kill him, but he'll wish he had when Angel's through with him."

Gunn laughed quietly. "That's an understatement." He watched as Fred finished up what she was doing on the laptop and shut it down. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"That sounds great," she told him.

Standing, he retrieved his jacket from the hook on the wall and slipped his arms through it once again as Fred did the same. "Let's go," he told her.

She nodded and took his arm as he opened the door.

Back in the lobby, Angel and Cordy were still sleeping peacefully. "What about them?" he whispered. "Should we wake them?"

Fred shook her head. "No. Let them sleep. They need the rest." She watched them sleep for a moment. Angel held Cordy like she was the most precious thing in his world. Fred considered this, knowing truer words would never be spoken. In her sleep, Cordy smiled, causing one from the couple watching. "Come on. Let's go," Fred told her boyfriend, knowing Cordy was in the best possibly hands.

Gunn nodded and took her hand, quietly leading her out of the Hyperion's doors to his truck that waited outside.

***

An hour later, Angel slowly opened his eyes to find the woman in his arms still fast asleep. He wanted nothing more than to stay here like this with her forever, but he knew that wasn't possible so he decided to just enjoy the moment as long as he could.

Angel was still watching her sleep when Cordy opened her eyes. "Hey," she smiled.

"Sleep well?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Were you watching me sleep?"

A small smile graced his face for an instant. "Yeah, I was," he admitted.

She touched his face tenderly. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Lucky?"

"To be able to call you mine," she clarified.

"I've been yours for a long time. You just didn't know it yet."

"Oh, Angel."

"I love you so much, Cordy."

"I love you, too."

***

"Is Gunn back yet?" Cordy asked a short time later as she lay in Angel's arms.

"I suspect he and Fred went to get something to eat, leaving us to sleep," he told her, kissing her cheek softly.

She nodded. "It is awful quiet in here," she agreed.

"Are you hungry?"

She was about to answer, but her stomach answered for her with a loud growl. Angel chuckled. "Guess so."

"Starving," she confirmed with a laugh.

"What are you hungry for?" he asked, twirling her hair around a finger. "Do you want takeout or do you want me to make you something?"

"Hmm," she mused softly. "Your scrambled eggs sound fabulous."

"Do you have a thing for my eggs, Cordy?" he teased.

"Among other things," she told him before planting a kiss on his lips. "Come on, you have eggs to make."

Angel sighed a great put upon sigh. "If I must."

"You must," she told him, rising and pulling him to his feet.

He smiled. "Yes, ma'am." He took two steps before turning back to her. "Cordy, stay here and relax."

Cordy shook her head. "No, I'll come with you."

"It's okay. I won't be gone long."

"No. I can't--" she started, her eyes filled with terror.

And that's when he understood. She wasn't ready to be left alone just yet. Not even in the place she thought of as her second home. He nodded and held out his hand. "I could use the company anyway."

She quickly took his hand and smiled up at him gratefully.

***

In the hotel's industrial-sized kitchen, he pulled out a skillet and turned on the stove. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the eggs, ham, green onion and cheese. Back at the counter, he cut up the ham and green onion while the skillet finished heating.

Cordy watched him with a smile. He glanced up from his work to find her watching him. "What?" he asked.

"You."

"What about me?"

"You look so peaceful when you're cooking."

He nodded. "It relaxes me. Always has."

"I'm glad."

"Glad?" he asked, cracking the eggs into the skillet.

"Yeah. I"m glad you have something that relaxes you so much."

He smiled softly and gave the eggs a stir.

"Toast?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Yes."

He put two slices of bread in the toaster and pushed the lever down. He added the ham and green onion to the eggs and stirred.

"What do you want to drink, Cordy?"

"I'll get it," she told him, hurrying to the refrigerator. She pulled out a carton of orange juice and a bag of pig's blood.

Walking back to the counter, she slit the pig's blood with a knife and poured it into one of the glasses that Angel had set out for her. Empty now, she tossed the bag in the nearby trash can. She opened the orange juice and poured it into her own glass. Replacing the cap, she returned it to its' position beside Angel's pig's blood in the refrigerator.

Angel sprinkled a handful of cheese on the eggs and gave it a final stir. He drew the plates out of the cabinet and the silverware from the drawer. He slid the eggs onto the plate and turned off the stove. Angel grabbed the plate of eggs, orange and silverware and walked to the front counter, setting them down there. "Dinner is served," he announced with a smile.

She handed him the glass of blood with a smile. "You, too."

***

"My, God, these are amazing, Angel," she told him, taking a bite of her eggs.

He smiled. "I'm glad you like them."

"Where do you think Gunn and Fred went?" she asked.

They looked at each other and nodded. "Tacos," they said simultaneously.

***

They were still eating when Gunn and Fred walked through the door ten minutes later. "Hey, guys," Cordelia greeted them after swallowing a mouthful of eggs.

"Sorry we didn't wake you," Fred told her. "You two looked so peaceful we didn't want to disturb you. You needed the rest."

"It's okay, Fred," Angel assured the young physicist. "She has a thing for my eggs anyway."

"Angel!" Cordy exclaimed.

"What?" he asked innocently. "You do."

She just sighed and turned back to their friends. "How did it go at the hospital, Gunn?"

"It was fine. Other than having to wait a little while they found your doctor, it was pretty cut and dry. I told her who I was and gave her the bag with your clothes in it. She thanked me and I left."

"Good." She said the word so quietly they almost missed it. She was quiet for a moment, lost in thought.

Angel looked at Fred, worry clearly etched across his face. He touched her shoulder gently. "Cordy? Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Cordy snapped out of her thoughts, looking around at the worried faces of her friends. "I'm sorry."

"No reason to apologize, Cordy," Gunn told her. Fred nodded.

She bowed her head. "Thank you."

Angel took her hand in his, sensing she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. "So, how about tomorrow morning you and Fred go over to the bookstore and find all the books you can on anything that will help us with researching background info and building a profile on this...guy," Angel told Gunn, the last word said through gritted teeth.

"Sure. Do you want us to hit the regular bookstores, Demons 'n Things or both?" he asked.

"Why don't you just hit Borders and Barnes and Noble first? We can assess what more we'll need after that and go from there."

"Sounds like a plan," Fred agreed.

"Then what?" Cordelia asked.

"Then we research and find that piece of trash," Angel told her.

She smiled slightly at his confidence. "Okay." She yawned.

"For tonight, let's get this cleaned up and go to bed," he told her, indicating their dirty dishes.

"Sounds good," she said, starting to clean up the dishes before Fred stopped her with a gentle hand to her arm.

"I'll take care of them, Cordy."

"You don't have to do that, Fred."

"I want to. Go to bed, Cordy. You and Angel both. You're exhausted."

"Are you sure, Fred?" Angel asked.

"I'm sure," she assured him.

He smiled. "Thank you. Thank you both," he told them, looking from one to the other.

"You're welcome. Now go to bed," Gunn said. "We'll be sure to lock up before we go to bed."

Angel nodded. Cordy slipped her hand in Angel's as they made their way upstairs. "Good night."

***

"You think she's going to be okay?" Fred asked her boyfriend as they loaded the dishes into the hotel's dishwasher.

Gunn rinsed Angel's glass of blood out and handed her the glass. "Yeah, I do. She has Angel and because of that, I think she'll be okay. I think she'll be more than okay one of these days. It'll take awhile, but she'll get there."

Fred smiled. "Me too," she told him as they finished the last of the dishes.

"Come on. Let's go to bed," he told her as they made their way out to the lobby. He locked the Hyperion's doors and turned off the lights, save for one small office lamp. He draped his arm across Fred's shoulders as they slowly walked up the stairs to their room.


	9. Chapter 9

Angel woke up and the first thing he noticed was that Cordy was no longer wrapped in his arms. Opening his eyes, he spotted her immediately, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring straight ahead in a way that told him she wasn't considering painting the walls a different color.

"Cordy?" he spoke her name, his voice heavy with sleep. When she didn't answer, he lay a hand on her back, gently rubbing. When she still didn't respond, he sat up and moved closer. He slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Talk to me, baby."

She smiled briefly at the term of endearment, loving how easily he said it. Loving the man who said it most of all. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About what is to come. The investigation, when we catch him. I'm--"

"Scared."

It wasn't a question, but she answered anyway. "Yeah," she admitted, turning in his arms. "Angel, what if we don't catch him?"

"We will. Try not to think too much about what may or may not happen. Focus on today. Today, we're going to do some research, just like with any case we take on. We'll try and find out what kind of man he is, what makes him tick."

Cordy nodded as a tear slid down her face. Angel pulled her into his arms, just holding her. "Shh, it's okay. You're going to be okay."

After several minutes, she pulled away and looked up at him with a small smile. "Thank you."

"One of the many services I offer," he told her, trying to get a laugh out of her. It worked.

She laughed. "Many services, huh? And what other services do you offer?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Angel lay back on his pillow, pulling her against him so she lay on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her. "Oh, you know; the usual suspects. Hugs, back rubs, kisses, cooking meals, protector of beautiful women. I have quite an extensive repertoire."

"That you do," she chuckled quietly.

Angel looked at the bedside clock. "Why don't you try and get some more sleep? It's only five in the morning."

Cordy yawned. "That sounds like a good idea," she told him, closing her eyes. She was asleep instantly.

Angel brushed a kiss on the top of her head and closed his own eyes.

***

Five hours later, Gunn and Fred were loading their arms with as many books as they could find that might help them with their research.

"Did you get Angel's credit card?" Gunn asked Fred as they were standing in line.

Fred nodded and held up the aforementioned card. "Yes, with strict instructions not to let you anywhere near it."

"Why not?"

"I think he was afraid you might take it to Vegas," she laughed.

Gunn shook his head. "No love. I get no love."

Fred smiled at her boyfriend's antics as they moved to the front of the line.

***

Back at the hotel, Cordy slowly opened her eyes for the second time that day. She looked up at the man whose arms she was currently wrapped in and smiled. Angel's hair stuck up in every direction. He wore the striped pajama pants she'd given him for Christmas last year. His chest wast bare. In short, he looked sexy as hell. And he was hers.

She snuggled deeper into his arms, planting a gentle kiss on his chest. The loving gesture penetrated his unconscious mind and he slowly opened his eyes. "Hey," he greeted her, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile.

"Hey," she whispered, a tender expression shining in her eyes.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long."

"You seem to be feeling better," he told her.

"I am," she confirmed.

"Good."

***

Gunn and Fred came out of Borders carrying three bags of books. "I think it's safe to say that Angel is never going to trust you with his credit card again, either," Gunn teased her as they headed to the car.

Fred laughed as they slipped inside the convertible and Gunn turned the key in the ignition, pulling it onto the highway in the direction of the hotel.

When they walked into the hotel half an hour later, Angel was sitting at the front counter, a thoughtful expression on his face. He never even noticed the door open or Gunn and Fred walk into the lobby. He was clearly lost in his own thoughts.

"Angel?" Fred asked softly, gently touching his arm to get his attention.

The action startled him. He jumped. "Oh, Fred, sorry. When did you guys get back?"

"Just now," Gunn told him, sitting the bags on the counter. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"Worrying, you mean," Fred said.

He glanced at her. "Yeah, I guess I was," he admitted.

"Angel, what's wrong?" Fred asked.

He dropped his head to his chest with a heavy sigh. "I'm scared," he whispered.

"About what?" Gunn asked.

Angel lifted his head, meeting his friend's eyes with his own. "Of not finding the man who did this. I keep telling Cordy we will, but what if we don't."

"We will, Angel," Fred told him softly.

"How do you know?"

"Because we know you, Angel. There is nothing on this planet that would keep you from finding him. You'd do anything for Cordy. And you will," Gunn told him. "And we'll be there helping you every step of the way."

Angel nodded and took a deep breath he didn't need. "Thank you."

Gunn nodded. "Where's Cordy?"

"Upstairs showering. She wanted a long bubble bath, but decided to wait until tonight for that."

"Does she have any clothes here?" Fred asked.

Angel shook his head. "No. She only had what she was wearing yesterday. I gave her a pair of my track pants and a long sleeved tee of mine."

"You wouldn't be talking about me, would you?" a voice asked from the staircase.

They turned to see Cordelia, hair wet from her shower and wearing Angel's clothes. He'd never seen anything more adorable in his life. He grinned. "Of course not. We were just talking about--"

"The demon population," Gunn supplied. Fred groaned inwardly. Demon population?

"Uh huh. Sure you were," Cordelia told them, arched eyebrow firmly in place. She almost looked like her old self again.

Fred shook her head and began pulling books from the bags in which they still sat as they continued on with their day.

***

Cordelia closed her book with a sigh. She wanted to be helping with the research, but the others had refused to let her. Instead, she'd been reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. "What's wrong, Cordy?" Angel asked, looking up from his book.

"I'm hungry."

"Anyone else hungry?" he asked, looking to Fred and then Gunn, who both nodded. "What do you guys want? My treat."

"Anything's fine with me," Fred told him.

"As long as it's edible, I'm good," Gunn answered.

"Looks like it's up to you, Cordy," Angel told her. "What do you feel like?"

She thought for a moment, considering her options. "Pizza," she decided. "Pizza sounds good."

Angel nodded. "Pizza it is."

"You may want to consider giving the delivery guy more than a dollar tip this time, Angel," she teased.

He just grinned and picked up the phone to order the pizza.

***

"Pizza's here," Gunn called an hour later after he'd paid the delivery man with the money Angel had left on the front counter. He put the pizza box on the counter and went in search of plates.

Angel and Cordy came down the staircase just as Fred opened up the office door to join them. "I'm starv--" Cordy trailed off, seeing the logo on the pizza box. It was the same pizza parlor she'd ordered from on the night of her attack.

Seeing her reaction, Angel reached out to her. "Cordy?"

But it was too late. Her mind had already taken her back to that night.

_He forced her legs apart and then pushed his way inside her. "No, please, no," she screamed out in pain. He pulled completely out, only to do it again. She didn't think it was possible, but it hurt even more the second time he thrust himself inside her. She sobbed, unable to do much else, praying it would be over soon._

Angel watched as Cordy's face took on a haunted look before a terrified, "no, please, no," passed through her lips once again. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and never let her go. "Cordy?"

As if sensing his presence, she came back to reality. She looked up into his worried face and her face crumpled instantly. She sobbed. And his heart broke in two.

Knowing she didn't need an audience, Fred and Gunn, who had returned with plates for the pizza, had quietly slipped into Angel's office, shutting the door softly behind them.

Angel pulled her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he could, knowing there wasn't much he could do, except be there for her. She continued to cry uncontrollably for the next several minutes while Angel held her, not saying anything, just letting her cry it out in his arms and soothing her with his presence. Finally, she lifted her face and met his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"But--"

He placed a finger over her lips, stopping her objections. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," he reiterated softly.

Seeing the look in his eyes, she nodded. "Okay."

He led her to the sofa in the corner and sat down, pulling her into his arms once again, just holding her. "Still hungry?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I am."

"Still feel like pizza or do you want something else?"

"Pizza."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll go warm up a couple slices for you."

He stood and was about to walk away when he found himself on the receiving end of the most tender of hugs. "Thank you," she whispered, so softly he almost missed it.

"For what?"

"For being you. I love you, Angel."

"And I love you, Cordy."

***

Angel knocked on his office door on the way to the kitchen, pizza box in hand. "Hey, guys. Still hungry?" he asked, holding up the box.

"God, yes," Gunn answered.

"Is she okay, Angel?" Fred asked.

"For now, yes. It's just going to take time."

"What happened?" Gunn asked the other man.

"She had a flashback."

"A flashback?"

Angel nodded. "A flashback is an event that feels like the person is actually experiencing the trauma all over again. It is happening right in front of their eyes, but they can't tell the difference between reality and memory."

"Does she know what happened?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah, she knows."

"Is that better or worse?" Gunn asked.

Angel considered the question thoughtfully. "I'm not sure," he finally answered.

"How often will she get them?"

"It's hard to say. Each person is different."

Fred and Gunn took this in silently.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," Angel told them, turning and heading for the kitchen. Fred grabbed the plates off the counter and followed him into the kitchen, Gunn trailing behind them.

They set about warming the pizza in the oven and placing the steaming slices on plates. Fred retrieved a glass from the cabinet and a bag of blood from the refrigerator. She sliced open the bag, emptying the contents into the glass. Gunn grabbed three cans of soda from the refrigerator and poured them into glasses as well.

Angel grabbed Cordy and his dinner, while the other grabbed their own. Walking back to the sofa, he handed Cordy her pizza and drink with a smile and sat down beside her. She smiled. "Thanks." Fred and Gunn joined them, sitting on the rug at their feet. They ate, discussing neither the traumatic experience of earlier nor the case. They only spoke of trivial matters--the latest movie they wanted to see, the fact that Angel snores, laughing when he denied this vehemently.

It was almost a normal day at Angel Investigations. Almost.


	10. Chapter 10

"Angel, please let me help," Cordy pleaded the next night as the four of them sat in the lobby surrounded by books. Angel, Fred and Gunn were trying to put a profile of Cordy's attacker together. Cordy had been reading her novel again, but now she was bored. She wanted to help, but Angel kept refusing to let her.

Angel shook his head. "No, Cordy."

"Why not?"

"You've already been through enough. You don't need to know the details about what kind of man he is."

Cordy put down her book and walked over to where Angel sat. "Come with me," she told him, taking his hand in hers.

"Where to?" he asked, but followed her anyway.

She didn't answer; she just led him out of the Hyperion and into the hotel's garden. She walked to the concrete bench and sat down, pulling him down beside her. She stared up at the moonlit sky for a moment before turning to him. "Angel, I know you want nothing more than to protect me from all the bad in the world, but we both know you can't do that. No one can."

"But--"

"Wait," she told him, squeezing the hand she still held. "I know there are going to be times during this investigation when I won't be able to do something, either because it's not something I can do emotionally or for some other reason, but this I can do, Angel. Please let me. I need to do something. I need to be involved."

Angel considered her words thoughtfully and knew she was right. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't protect her from the world. He nodded. "Just promise me something."

"What?"

Angel pulled her onto his lap and wrapped an arm around her. "Promise me that if it gets to be too much, you'll tell me."

Cordy smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I promise."

***

"What do you think they're talking about?" Fred asked, looking up from the book in her lap.

Gunn grinned. "Cordy's probably reading him the riot act."

"You think he'll let her help?"

Gunn nodded. "Yeah. He won't want to, but he will."

"Yeah, I think you're right," she agreed.

***

Cordy framed Angel's face in the palms of her small hands, looking deep into his dark eyes. "I love you so much," she whispered, overcome with emotion. "I don't know what I would have done without you these last few days. After he attacked me, I didn't know how I was going to make it through the next few minutes, let alone hours or days. I had never felt so alone as I did that night. And then, you walked through my door and promised you'd be there for as long as I wanted you to be."

"And I always will be," he vowed, tears in his own eyes.

He lowered his mouth to hers, his tears mingling with hers. The kiss started out a little sad, a culmination of everything that had happened in the last few days. It soon filled with hope and the promise of all the good things to come. "I love you, Cordelia Chase," he whispered against her mouth before capturing her mouth with his own once again. She wound her arms around his neck and his fingers tangled into her dark hair as they got lost in the moment, forgetting everything but each other.

Pulling apart, there was a twinkle in his eyes that she hadn't seen in awhile. "You're happy," she told him.

"I am," he agreed. "Because of you. You make me happy."

"And you make me happy. Happier than I've ever been."

***

"Have you found anything useful?" Gunn asked the brunette beside him.

"Maybe. The crime of rape is categorized into three forms: anger rape, power rape and sadistic rape," she read.

"So which form was Cordy's?" Gunn asked.

Fred shrugged. "I don't know."

"Guess we'll have to ask Cordy."

"Ask Cordy what?" Cordy asked as she and Angel walked back into the lobby.

"What type of rapist your attacker was," Fred told her quietly.

"There are types?" Angel asked.

"Three," Gunn answered.

"What are they?" Cordy asked quietly, sitting on the sofa with a sigh. Angel sat down beside her.

"Anger rape is characterized by physical brutality, coming in the form of a sudden, extremely violent attack or is preceded by a ruse of some sort that distracts the victim. In power rape, sexuality becomes the tool by which the attacker compensates for feelings of inadequacy and the assault serves as an expression of mastery, strength, control, authority, identity and capability," Fred read. "The intent is to capture and control the victim and only enough force is used to achieve this. Verbal threats, intimidation with weapons and physical force are used to this pupose."

"And the last?" Angel asked, wanting to get the descriptions over as fast as possible.

"In sadistic rapes, we can find all the factors of power rape and anger rape. The offender transforms his anger and desire for power into eroticized aggression that is then vented upon the victim in the form of acts of sadism. The intent is to derive intense gratification from injuring the victim and to take pleasure in the victim's torment, anguish, distress, helplessness and suffering," Fred finished softly.

_He dragged her back to the bed and pushed her onto it. He climbed onto the bed, straddling her and ripped open her white blouse, sending the buttons flying. She heard them hit the hardwood floor and scatter. He unhooked the front clasp of her satin bra and furiously pushed it aside. He then proceeded to pinch and slap her breasts so hard that after just one time her eyes filled with tears. She could feel his arousal digging into her. He was enjoying the pain he was inflicting upon her. "Please stop," she whispered._

"Cordy?" Angel asked softly, breaking her reverie.

"He's a sadist," she sighed as a tear slipped free. Reaching up to brush it away, she saw her hands were shaking. "A-Angel?"

"What is it, baby?" he asked, getting more and more concerned by the minute.

"Will you--can you--" she faltered.

"Just tell me," Angel told her softly.

"Hold me. Please? I need you," she whispered as tears filled her eyes once again. She knew she was only moments away from breaking down completely.

Angel silently held open his arms, allowing her to fall into them. Moments later, huge, wracking sobs overcame her. Angel wrapped both his arms around her, holding her as tightly as he possibly could.

Over her head, Angel glanced at Fred, pain filling his eyes. Fred's heart broke for them. She quietly rose, gathering the books and pulling Gunn after her, heading for Angel's office. She knew that Cordy didn't need an audience; she only needed Angel.

Cordy's sobs tore at his heart. He wished more than anything he could take her pain away, but he also knew only time would do that. All he could do was be here for her. He tightened his arms around her, whispering soft words into her ear.

***

Gunn sat staring at the open book in his lap, but he wasn't really seeing it. Fred came over and sat down beside him, gently taking the book and putting it on a nearby table. Startled, he looked up. "Talk to me," she told him softly.

"It's Cordy. I've never seen her like that before."

Fred nodded, silently agreeing with him.

"I wish there was something we could do for her," Gunn told her.

Fred looked at her boyfriend and squeezed his hand. "We can."

"What?" he asked, a look of confusion spreading its way across his features.

"Find the man that did this to her."

Gunn nodded and picked up his discarded book, preparing to do just that.

***

Angel gently lay Cordy on the sofa and covered her with a blanket. She'd cried herself out in his arms and then had fallen asleep, exhausted. He smoothed back a strand of hair and kissed her cheek tenderly. He stood and just watched her for a moment, wondering how it was possible to love someone so much. Once upon a time, he'd thought what he'd had with Buffy had been love, but he knew differently now. He and Buffy had never been able to be just friends, to talk and laugh together. Cordy had been his dearest friend for so long that he almost forgot what it was like before she'd become such an intergral part of his life. And now, she was so much more. She was his friend, the protector of his heart, the one who kept him honest and true. She was his world.

***

Angel eased the door of his office open, closing it sofly behind him so as to not wake the sleeping woman in the other room. "Hey, guys," he greeted Gunn and Fred.

Both looked up from reading their respective books. "How's she doing?" Fred asked.

"She's okay. Sleeping for the time being."

"Does she do that a lot?" Gunn asked. "Cry like that?"

Angel nodded. "A fair amount of the time, yeah."

"Is that normal?" he asked.

Angel nodded. "Yes. Every person deals with the trauma of rape differently, but everything she is going through is completely normal."

Gunn and Fred took this information in silently. "How long does it usually last?" Fred asked.

"It differs from person to person so I can't really say. The only thing I know is that the faster we find this piece of trash, the safer she'll feel and the faster she can begin to move on."

"She doesn't feel safe, does she?" Fred asked.

Angel shook his head. "Only with me."

They were all silent for a moment, processing his words.

"So, what have you found out?" Angel asked, indicating the many books strewn about the office.

"Well, she's lucky to have survived. Sadistic rapists often kill their victims, frequently mutilating them before or after death and then have sex with their bodies," Gunn told him.

Fred gently guided him into a chair. He took a deep breath he didn't need and let out a sigh. He dropped his head into his hands, imagining what could have happened. "It gets worse, Angel," Gunn told him quietly.

Angel lifted his head, looking at his friend. "Tell me."

"The victim may be subjected to biting, burns and whipping. Injury to sexual areas of the body, such as breasts, genitals and buttocks are common. She may also be object raped with a bottle, stick or knife."

"We have to get this bastard off the streets. Not only for Cordy, but for all the other women he may prey upon," Angel told them, looking from one to the other.

"We will, Angel," Gunn told him, meeting his eyes. "We will."

Angel nodded. "I'm going to go check on Cordy."

When he'd shut the door behind him, Fred looked at her boyfriend helplessly. "This is going to get worse before it gets better, isn't it?"

Gunn nodded sadly. "Yeah. It is."

***

Angel sat down on the floor beside the sofa on which Cordelia lay, just watching her sleep. After a few minutes, dark eyes met hazel ones when Cordelia opened her eyes. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Were you watching me sleep?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I was."

"That's sweet."

"Sweet?"

"Sure. What could be sweeter than the one you love watching you sleep with eyes so full of love?" she asked softly.

He lowered his mouth to hers in a gentle kiss. "I love you, Cordy."

"Almost as much as I love you," she told him, eyes sparkling with humor.

"Almost?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yup. Almost. There's just no possible way you could love me more than I love you."

He laughed and pulled her to her feet. "Come on. Let's go to bed. I want to hold you in my arms."

"Sounds wonderful," she smiled.

***

Angel knocked on his office door for the second time that night and opened it. "We're going to bed. It's been a long day," Angel told the couple inside, who were still hard at work.

Fred looked up with a smile. "Okay. Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight, guys," Cordelia told them.

"Goodnight," Gunn said, looking up from his book.

Cordy slid her hand inside Angel's as they climbed the staircase, heading for room 217 and the comfort of each other's arms.


	11. Chapter 11

Cordy had been flittering around the hotel all morning, restless. "Cordy, what's wrong?" Angel finally asked when she picked up a book to read, only to slam it shut two minutes later.

Cordy looked up at him and sighed. "I'm scared; nervous."

"About what?" he asked, dropping down beside her on the bed on which she lounged.

"Of the tests they did at the hospital," she admitted.

He wasn't surprised at the reason for her uneasiness. She had an appointment with her doctor later in the day to discuss the results of all those tests. He slid against a pillow and wrapped his arms around her. "You're going to be fine, Cordy."

"Angel, you don't know that. What if I'm not?"

"Then we'll deal with it. Together."

Cordy nodded. "Okay," she whispered. The worried look didn't leave her face, however. In fact, she looked even more concerned than she had before, if that was possible.

"What is it, Cordy? What has you so worried?"

"What if I'm pregnant? Angel, what if I'm pregnant with his baby? I can't do that. I can't," she whispered as a tear fell.

"Cordy, you took emergency contraception at the hospital and even before that, pregnancy as a result of rape only occurs five percent of the time," he told her softly.

"What if I'm one of the five percent?" she asked, fear in her eyes.

"You won't be, Cordy. But if you are, I will be here for you, no matter what you decide to do."

"No matter what?"

"Always and forever," he vowed.

She smiled a smile that could only be described as tender before burying her face in his chest. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer, just holding her. It was exactly what she needed. No words, no assurances, just him.

Angel could tell the moment she fell asleep; the stress left her body, her whole body relaxed. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table and was relieved to see there were several hours before they needed to leave for the doctor's office. He decided a nap sounded absolutely perfect just then and closed his own eyes, joining the woman he loved in dreamland.

***

Fred and Gunn pulled into the parking lot of the Sunset Boulevard Pizza Parlor, determination on both their faces. Gunn opened the door, allowing Fred to enter first and then followed her in. They walked up to the counter and waited for someone to help them.

"Can I help you?" a red-haired teenage girl asked as she came up to the counter, ready to take an order.

"Yes. We'd like to speak with your manager, please," Fred told her.

She nodded. "Of course," she told them and disappeared once again, calling "Jing!" as she went.

Not a minute later, a middle-aged woman of Asian descent appeared at the counter. "Hi, I'm Jing, the manager of the Sunset Boulevard Pizza Parlor. What can I do for you?"

Gunn pulled out the skillfully drawn picture that Angel had given him before he and Fred had left the hotel. "Do you know this man?"

Jing took the picture from him and studied it carefully. "That looks like it could be Patrick Evans," she told him, handing the picture back to him. "What is this about?"

Fred pulled out an Angel Investigations business card and showed it to her. "This man raped a young woman in her home after she ordered a pizza to be delivered."

"Oh my God," she whispered, covering her mouth in shock. "And you think it was Patrick?"

"What can you tell us about him?" Fred asked.

"Why don't you follow me to my office and I'll answer all your questions. This is not the sort of thing I want my customers to overhear."

"Of course," Fred agreed.

Jing came out from behind the counter, then opened and unlocked an office door. She held it open for them and then followed them inside, locking it behind her. "Please. Have a seat," she told them, motioning to the chairs that occupied the space in front of her desk. She walked around the desk and took her own seat.

"Please continue," she told them.

"What do you know about Patrick?" Gunn asked.

"Very little, I'm afraid. He's only been with us a few weeks."

"What _can_ you tell us?" Gunn asked.

Jing pulled out Patrick's employment information and handed them a copy. "As you can see here, he's about 25 years old and attends Cal State L.A., working towards a degree in education."

"Is this his current home address?" Fred asked.

"As far as I know, yes."

"When is he next scheduled to work?"

Jing consulted her calendar. "Not till next week. He has exams this week and asked for the week off."

"Thank you," Gunn told her, standing. "We'd appreciate it if you would keep this conversation to yourself and not share it with anyone."

"Of course."

"Please call us if you can think of anything else," Fred told her, handing her an Angel Investigations business card.

She studied the card for a moment before placing it on her desk. "I will."

***

Angel opened his eyes when jerking movements woke him. Cordy was beginning to thrash about in her sleep, tears falling. "No! Please don't," she begged. He knew in an instant she was having another nightmare.

He pulled her to him, speaking her name. "Cordy," he whispered, but she continued to scream out. "Cordy!" Still nothing. He framed her face in his hands, gently brushing her tears away, which did the trick. She opened her eyes, looking into his worried face. And broke into tears again. He pulled her into his arms and held her, wanting nothing more than to take her pain away. "Shh, it's okay. I've got you, baby." Her only response was to curl into him as close as she could get, like he was her lifeline.

After several minutes of crying, she began to calm down. "This is getting old real fast," she finally whispered. Angel just held her tight, rubbing small circles on her back.

***

"Where to now?" Gunn asked Fred as they climbed into his old beat-up truck.

"Well, we have his address. Why don't we go knock on his door?"

"Sounds like a plan," he said, putting the key in the ignition and pulling out onto the highway.

***

"Do you want to take a bath before we have to leave for your doctor's appointment?" Angel asked Cordy a short time later.

She nodded. "That sounds...absolutely wonderful."

"I thought it might," he smiled. "Stay here. I'll start the water for you."

"Thank you."

When he walked away, the thought of how lucky she was struck her. A lot of women in her situation had no one to lean on. She had Fred and Gunn, who were out right now talking to the manager of the pizza parlor she'd ordered from on the night of her attack. And she had Angel, the one man she knew who would always be there for her. She had loved him for so long, it was almost impossible to recall what it was like when she didn't. She smiled, imagining the love that graced his face every time he looked at her. The one thing in her life she would never doubt was his love for her. And she loved him just as much.

Angel watched from the doorway as a beautiful smile overtook Cordy's face at whatever she was thinking about. "What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

She looked up at the sound of his voice. Her smile grew into her trademark Cordelia Chase smile. "You," she admitted, rising from the bed and walking to stand in front of him.

"Me?"

She nodded. "How lucky I am. How much I love you," she whispered, pulling his head down to hers. She softly brushed her lips across his in a tender kiss.

"I love you, too," he whispered, pulling her against him, just holding her for a moment.

When she finally stepped away, both their hearts felt a little lighter. She gathered her clothes and walked into the bathroom. "We have to be there in two hours," Angel told her, knowing how much she loved her bubble baths.

"I'll be ready," she laughed.

He watched as she went to close the door behind her, but decided at the last moment to leave it partially open. He smiled. It was her way of showing him that she trusted him completely. His eyes closed on their own accord, his hand rising to rest over the spot where his unbeating heart lay in his chest. "Oh, baby," he whispered, touched. "I already knew, but thank you just the same."

In the bathroom, Cordy paused as she went though the motions of undressing as she listened, hearing the words he'd whispered. A tear slid down her face as her heart listened to the words he didn't say and understood what she'd been trying to tell him.

***

"Isn't this--" Fred started.

Gunn nodded. "Yeah, it is," he answered her unspoken question.

"Let's go," Fred told him, opening her door.

Gunn opened his own door and followed her into the building.

Inside, they knocked on the apartment door of Patrick Evans, but no one answered.

"Guess he's in class," Fred sighed.

"Yeah. Come on, let's get back to the hotel."

***

"Cordy, are you almost ready?" Angel asked as he walked into the room he already thought of as theirs.

Cordy finished putting on her earrings and smiled. "Almost."

"You look pretty," he told her softly.

"Thanks, Angel," she told him, his simple words touching her heart, not because he'd never told her she was pretty. He had. It was the sincerity and the look in his eyes that got her. The fact that she was still pretty beat-up and bruised didn't seem to matter in the slightest to him.

"Angel, could you--" she asked, indicating the necklace in her hand. "My upper arms and shoulders are still pretty sore."

Angel smiled and closed his fingers around the necklace she held. "Of course." He glanced at it. Just as he'd thought. It was the one he'd brought back from Sri Lanka for her. He made a mental note to buy her more jewelry. This was definitely a woman who loved her jewelry. He slipped it over her head and fastened the clasp at the base of her neck. When he was finished, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. "You smell nice, too," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

As much as she hated to leave his embrace, she knew they needed to go. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Are you sure you're okay to drive?"

"Yes. Besides, it's not like you can," she told him. "And I have no desire to see the man I love burst into flames because it's the middle of the day and the sun is shining. No, you will be riding shotgun and protecting yourself from the sun."

"Okay, okay," he laughed, taking her hand. "Let's go."

***

The top was up and Angel indeed rode shotgun. His whole body was protected by the blanket that covered him as Cordy guided the convertible down the highway. Pulling into the parking garage of her doctor's office, she parked in the closest space to the building--and the farthest away from any chance of coming into contact with any direct sunlight.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"Depends on what moment you ask," she admitted.

"How about this one?"

"I'm scared," she told him, slipping her hand in his as they made their way to the door. Angel knew there wasn't much he could say to ease her fears so he just squeezed her hand, praying the news inside was good.

Inside, Cordelia gave her name to the receptionist, who asked them to take a seat in the waiting area.

"Cordelia Chase," a nurse called her name. "Please follow me." She led them to a private room. "The doctor will be with you shortly."

When she closed the door, Angel pulled her down beside him on the sofa in the room. He took her hand in his, rubbing the back of her hand gently. "Promise me," she whispered. "Promise me it'll be okay."

"It's going to be okay and even if it's not, I promise you I will be here."

She didn't get a chance to respond because a moment later, they heard a knock at the door before Dr. Riley walked in. "How are you doing, Cordelia?" she asked, sitting down in a chair.

"I'm okay," Cordelia told her.

"Have you had any lasting physical problems?"

"Besides the bruising, just some soreness in my upper arms and shoulders."

Dr. Riley nodded. "That's normal. Those should disappear altogether in the next week or two." She glanced at the chart in her hand. "Well, I have all your test results here."

"What are they?" Angel asked, getting a little anxious himself.

Dr. Riley smiled at the couple. "Everything came back normal. You are completely healthy."

"Normal?" Cordy asked.

"Yes. You are free to get on with your life."

Angel could tell Cordy was a little in shock. "Thank you, Doctor," he told the woman sitting before them. He felt like she'd given them the best gift of all: a future. Together. "Thank you so much."

She smiled. "You're welcome," she told them before slipping back out the door in which she'd come.

Angel stood, pulling Cordy to her feet. When he looked into her eyes, he could see tears glistening there. "Cordy?"

A tear slipped silently down her face. "I was so sure," she whispered. "I was so sure something would be wrong. And now, I don't need to worry about it anymore. I'm free."

Angel simply wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tender hug. "I love you, Cordelia Chase."

She looked up into his dark eyes and laid a hand on his cheek. "And I love you, Angel."

***

"Hey, how'd it go?" Fred asked when they walked in the Hyperion half an hour later.

Cordelia smiled. "All the tests were completely normal."

"That's great, Cordy," Fred told her, rushing to give her friend a hug. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Fred. Where's Gunn?"

"Right here. I'm happy for you, Cordy."

"Thanks," she told him. She studied him for a moment. "You found out something today, didn't you?"

Gunn nodded. "Yeah."

"What?" Angel asked.

"Your attacker. Cordy, he--" he faltered, not wanting to tell her what he knew he needed to say.

"Gunn, just tell me."

"Cordy, he lives in your apartment building," Fred dropped the bombshell.


	12. Chapter 12

"He lives in your apartment building, Cordy," Fred repeated the bombshell she'd just dropped.

Cordy's face drained of all color and her legs gave out. She would have fallen if not for the strong arms that wrapped around her waist and then lifted her into his arms. Once in his arms, she buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist, needing to get as close to him as she could. Angel walked to the sofa and lowered himself onto it, Cordy still in his arms. He freed his arms from under her legs and wrapped them around her, offering her the comfort of his embrace. After a few minutes, he felt hot tears seep into his shirt. "Hey," he whispered, gently lifting her face to his own. What he saw in her eyes ripped his heart in two. He didn't think he'd ever seen so much fear in her eyes before, not even on the night of her attack.

"Angel, promise me you'll find him," she whispered.

Angel nodded. "Cordy, I promise we'll find him."

She nodded. "I'm going upstairs. I need to be alone for a little while, Angel."

"Okay," he told her, watching as she stood and walked in the direction of the staircase.

Halfway up the staircase, she turned back. "Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to be alone...but not for too long," she told him, hoping he'd understand she wanted him to come up in a little while. He did.

"I'll be up to see how you're doing before too long." She nodded and continued up the staircase. All three of them watched her go, each face bearing different degrees of concern.

"What now?" Gunn asked once she was gone. "We have to find him."

Angel nodded. "Yes, we do. You said he goes to Cal State L.A.?"

"Yes," Fred confirmed.

"Today, work the phones. See what you can find out about this guy. Tomorrow, take a trip over to the university. Talk to his professors, administrators, his friends, janitors, anyone who has come into contact with him. Find out everything you can. Where he hangs out, what he likes and dislikes. We need to find out everything we can."

"Okay," Gunn agreed. "What are you going to do?"

Angel looked toward the staircase. "I'm going to check on Cordy."

Fred nodded. "Take care of her, Angel. We can handle this."

Angel looked at the young woman gratefully. "Thanks, Fred."

***

Angel quietly opened the door to their room, not making a sound. He didn't want to wake her if she was sleeping. "Oh, Cordy," he whispered, hurrying to her side. She was lying in bed, hugging his pillow to her, sobbing. He climbed in beside her, gently taking the pillow from her and pulling her into his arms.

"What can I do?" he asked when her sobs had been reduced to the occasional sniffle.

She looked up at him tearfully. "You're doing it. This helps more than you know."

He gently brushed the last of her tears away. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

This earned him a small laugh. "I'm not beautiful, Angel. My body is still bruised from what he did to me and I know I smeared my makeup from my latest crying stint. That is not a beautiful sight."

"Cordy, you could be covered in mud and chicken feathers and I'd still think you're beautiful," he told her, smiling. "You take my breath away."

"Angel, you don't have breath," she smirked.

"See? Permanently removed."

She just rolled her eyes. Sometimes the man she loved was a big dork. She considered that thought. Okay, more than sometimes. But she did love him. "Thank you," she told him, suddenly serious.

"For what?"

"For thinking I'm beautiful. I don't know if I'll ever feel that way again, but thank you for thinking it."

Angel smiled. "You will."

She reached up and gently stroked his cheek. He turned his head ever so slightly and kissed the palm of her hand, causing a small smile to appear on her face. She tenderly pressed her lips to his. "I love you so much," she told him, kissing him once again.

"I love you, too, baby."

***

"Find out anything?" Gunn asked as Fred hung up the phone for the umpteenth time that day.

"Not much," she admitted. "I did just talk to the apartment manager at Cordy's complex, though."

"What did he say?"

"He only moved in six months ago, pays his rent on time and doesn't make trouble."

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Gunn supplied.

"There was one thing," Fred told him.

"What?"

"Apparently, when he moved in he asked for an apartment in Cordy's building specifically. He thought it was odd at the time, but didn't think too much about it."

Gunn considered that. "You think he was stalking her?"

Fred nodded. "Yes, I do."

"We need to tell Angel," Gunn told her.

"Yeah."

***

"You want anything to eat or drink?" Angel asked.

"I'm not really hungry yet, but a bottle of water sounds great."

"I'll be right back."

***

As Angel came down the staircase, Gunn stuck his head out the office door. "Angel, do you have a minute?"

"Sure."

He walked into the office and sat down. "Did you find out anything?" he asked.

"Got a lot of what we expected: he's a good guy, never causes trouble, that sort of thing," Gunn answered

"But?" Angel prompted.

"We also talked to the apartment manager," Fred told him.

"And?"

"When he first moved in, he asked for an apartment in Cordy's building specifically," Gunn answered.

"He was stalking her," Angel realized.

Gunn nodded. "Yeah, looks that way."

"She can't go back there," Angel said, more to himself than to them, but they heard him anyway.

"Kind of why we told you now," Gunn told him.

Angel nodded. "Okay. Let me know if you find anything else out," he told them, rising from his chair.

"Will do."

Walking out of the office, he headed for the staircase and got halfway up it before he remembered Cordy's water. Turning around, he hurried into the kitchen where he retrieved a bottle of Ice Mountain from the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of blood. Tossing the empty bag in the trash can, he walked back up the stairs.

***

Angel walked back into their room and handed her bottle of water. "Here you go, Cordy," he told her, sitting down beside her.

"Thanks." She opened the bottle and took a sip. He smiled and took a sip of his blood.

"I've been thinking, Angel," she told him a moment later.

"About what?"

"As much as I love my apartment, I don't think I can go back. I don't think I'll ever feel safe there again."

"Cordy, you're not safe there." He put down his glass of blood and took her hand.

"What?"

"When he moved into your apartment complex, he specifically asked for your building."

"Oh, God," she whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Cordy, but you can't go back there."

"Oh, the joy of looking for a new apartment. I had so much fun last time," she told him, rolling her eyes as she remembered her apartment search with Doyle.

Angel just smiled, but Cordy didn't miss the look on his face. "What?" she asked. "You want to say something so say it."

Angel laughed softly. "I should have known you would know," he told her.

"Yes, you should. Now spill."

"I'd like you to consider moving into the hotel with me," he told her softly. The softness in his eyes told her more than his words ever would. This wasn't a spur of the moment thing. He really did want her here.

She nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?"

She laughed, knowing she'd just confused him. She decided to clear things up for him. She put her bottle of water on the bedside table and slid closer to him. When her lips were just inches from his, she whispered, "Yes, I'd like nothing more than to move into the hotel with you, Angel."

Angel smiled and closed the distance between them, capturing her lips with his own. He didn't need to tell her how happy she'd made him. She could feel it in that kiss and she could see it in his smile.

"How soon can we start packing?" she asked. Now that she knew this was going to be her new home, she was ready to move her belongings as soon as possible.

Angel smiled. "How about tomorrow?"

"Sounds perfect," she told him, snuggling into his arms. They lay like that for awhile, neither speaking, just enjoying the comfort of each other's embrace.

"You know, that apartment hasn't really felt like home for awhile now," she told him a little while later, breaking the silence. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "The truth is, this hotel has felt like my home for a long time."

"And now it will be."

She nodded. "Yeah."

***

"Hungry?" he asked a little later

"Yeah."

"What sounds good?"

"A sandwich sounds good."

"Ham, turkey?" he asked.

"Ham."

"You got it. Stay here. I'll let Gunn and Fred know what's going on and be back soon."

She nodded, picking up her book from the bedside table and began to read.

***

Downstairs, Gunn and Fred were just pulling on their jackets when Angel got there. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

Gunn nodded. "Yeah. We're starving so we're going to go get something to eat."

"Before you go, I just wanted to let you know what's going on," Angel told them.

"What?" Fred asked.

"I asked Cordy to move into the hotel."

"That's great, Angel," Fred told him.

Angel smiled. "Yeah," he agreed. "We're going to go over to her apartment tomorrow and pack everything up while you two do those interviews."

"Sounds like a good idea," Gunn told him. "The sooner she's out of there, the better."

Angel nodded his head in agreement. "Have a nice dinner. We'll probably be in bed by the time you get back so we'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight, Angel," Fred told him with a smile.

"Goodnight," Angel said. Angel watched them walk to the door, where Gunn waved. Then he went to make Cordy's sandwich.

***

"Here you go. One ham sandwich with cheese, lettuce and mayo," he told her as he walked back into the room.

"Thanks, Angel."

"I brought you another bottle of water, too," he said as he handed it over.

She smiled and bit into her sandwich. Angel sat down with a glass of blood for himself.

***

Dinner over, Angel took the dishes back downstairs while Cordy changed for bed. He rinsed off her plate and his glass and put them in the dishwasher. Dishes done, he turned off the kitchen light and returned to Cordy.

***

"Hey," he greeted her as he walked back in the room.

"Hey," she told him around a yawn. "Are you as tired as I am?"

"If by tired you mean absolutely exhausted, then yes."

"That's what I mean," she told him.

"I'd say it's time for bed, then," he said, pulling his pajama pants out of a drawer. He quickly shed his clothes, completely unembarrassed that she was watching him with a keen eye. He looked up with a smile. "See anything you like?"

She nodded. "Everything."

He laughed and picked up his clothes, tossing them into the hamper. He climbed into bed and held out his arms to her. She immediately fell into them and lay her head on his chest.

She sighed with contentment. "This is all so normal," she told him softly.

"What is?"

"This. Us. Having dinner, getting ready for bed."

"It is normal," he agreed.

"Can we really have this? Are we allowed to have that?"

Angel nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Yes."

Cordy smiled. "Good. I was just checking."

Angel chuckled and turned out the light. "I love you, Cordy. Goodnight," he told her, kissing her.

"I love you, too. 'Night."

They were asleep within minutes.


	13. Chapter 13

"Good morning," Cordy greeted Angel, Gunn and Fred as she came downstairs, fresh from her shower.

"Morning," Gunn told her.

"Sleep well?" Fred asked.

Cordy nodded. "I did."

Angel quietly poured a mug of coffee and added sugar to the cup. He handed it to her with a kiss.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"So, what's up for the day?" Gunn asked, taking a sip of his own coffee.

"Cordy and I are going to pack up her apartment," Angel told the other man. "Why don't you and Fred do your interviews while we do that. When you're finished, meet us at her apartment and we'll load everything and bring it back here."

Fred nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

***

Angel watched as Cordy unlocked the door, keeping an eye out for one Patrick Evans. Not surprisingly, the hall remained empty. Cordy pushed open the door and Angel followed her in, shutting the door behind him.

Cordy sighed and looked around her, at the place she'd called home for so many years. She still remembered her reaction upon seeing it for the first time. She and Doyle had been looking at apartments all day, finding something wrong with each of them from the one with the communal bathroom to the one with the icky manger who lived next door--and had a key to the apartment. When she'd walked into this one, it had been like a breath of fresh air. At first, anyway. Then, that crazy old ghost had tried to run her out of it like she'd done to so many tenants before, but she'd met her match in Cordelia Chase, Cordy thought with a grin.

From his position a few feet away, Angel watched the many emotions flicker across her face. "You okay?" he finally asked.

Cordy looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay," she told him, taking off her jacket and tossing it onto a nearby chair. "Guess we better get to work."

Angel removed his leather jacket, laying it beside Cordy's. "Guess so," he agreed. "Where do you want to start?"

She considered the question for a moment. "The kitchen," she decided.

Angel picked up a stack of boxes. "The kitchen, it is," he said as she led the way.

In the kitchen, Angel put a box on the counter and dropped a stack of newspaper beside it. Without another word, they each opened a cabinet door. They began to remove dishes, wrapping them in newspaper and then placed them in the box. As each box filled, Angel taped it up and set it on the floor, replacing it with an empty box to be filled. Soon, all that remained of the kitchen was empty cabinets and blank walls.

The dining room was fairly easy. Angel removed the centerpiece from the table while Cordy gathered the few things from the walls. They quickly wrapped them and then put them in the box on the table.

Since Cordy's bedroom was only steps away from the dining room, it was the next logical step. He grabbed another stack of boxes and carried them into the bedroom, where he dropped them. Cordy slowly followed him in, wanting to be anywhere but where she was at that moment. She looked around at all her belongings thrown about. She looked at her bed, at the clothing on the floor. And went back in time again.

_He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, roughly pulling them down her body. He tossed them over his shoulder and onto the floor, where they landed with a thud. She began to thrash around, desperately trying to break free, but he grabbed her upper arms and held her down. The more she tried to get away, the more he grinned. When Cordy looked up at him, he looked like what she'd always imagined pure evil to look like._

In the back of her mind, she thought she heard Angel call her name, but she couldn't be sure.

_He forced her legs apart and then pushed his way inside her. "No, please, no," she screamed out in pain. He pulled completely out, only to do it again. She didn't think it was possible, but it hurt even more the second time he thrust himself inside her. She sobbed, unable to do much else, praying it would be over soon._

"No! Please no!" she screamed as the tears fell down her face.

The moment she looked at the bed, her whole demeanor changed and Angel knew what was coming, but he was powerless to stop it. He knew she always saw the same scene in her mind when she had these flashbacks. Her reaction to them changed very little. Nor did his own reaction to having to watch her endure them. It broke his heart a little more each time.

Angel gently touched her shoulder, not wanting to scare her. "Cordy," he whispered her name softly. As was usual, he only needed to use soft words. She looked up at him. And broke down in his arms.

He pulled her to the bed and sat her down. He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could, offering comfort in the only way he could while whispering words of love in her ear. Finally, after several minutes of crying, she pulled herself together and looked up at him with a small smile. "I don't know which is worse," she admitted. "The actual attack or these flashbacks."

Angel nodded in understanding. "I would imagine they're pretty even. On one hand you experienced the actual attack and on the other you experience it time and time again in your mind."

"True," she agreed. "There's one difference, though."

"What's that?" he asked.

"When it happened for real, I was scared and alone after he left. Now, I have you, holding me, whispering your love in my ear."

"And I always will."

Cordy smiled and kissed him gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

***

Gunn and Fred pulled into the parking lot that housed the administration building of Cal State L.A. Gunn pulled into a parking space and turned off his truck. "Ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm ready."

They got out of the truck and walked inside the building, hoping they'd find the answers to their questions here that would lead them to Patrick Evans and justice for Cordy. Inside, they followed signs to the second floor to the registrar's office. There, they waited at the desk for someone to assist them. A moment later a middle-aged woman that reminded Fred of her mama smiled at them. "Hello, what can I help you with today?" she asked pleasantly.

Gunn returned her smile and handed her his Angel Investigations business card. "I'm Charles Gunn and this is Winifred Burkle. We're looking for Patrick Evans."

"Can I ask what this is about?" she asked.

"He raped a young woman in her home," Fred told her softly.

"Oh dear. Let me get the president of our campus," she told them softly. "I'll be right back. Excuse me." She returned two minutes later. "If you'll follow me, the president would like to speak with you privately."

"Of course," Fred agreed.

She knocked on an oak office door. "Come in," a deep masculine voice requested. When she opened the door, the man inside rose from his desk and moved forward to greet them.

"Hello," he said, holding out his hand to Gunn. "I'm Dr. Benjamin Daniels."

"This is Charles Gunn and Winifred Burkle," his assistant introduced them as they shook hands.

Dr. Daniels turned to her. "Thank you, Francesca." She nodded and turned to leave, closing the door softly behind her as she did so.

He turned back to Gunn and Fred. "Please have a seat," he told them, indicating the seats in front of his desk.

"Thank you," Fred told him as they sat in the chairs there and Dr. Daniels took his seat behind his desk.

"Now, Francesca tells me that Patrick Evans was involved in a rape. Can you tell me more?"

"Sure. He attacked a young woman in her home. He works at the Sunset Boulevard Pizza Parlor and when he delivered her pizza, he pushed his way inside and raped her. He threatened her with a pistol."

"How did she get away?"

"After he beat her and took what wasn't his to take, he left. As he did, he told her if she told anyone about what happened, he'd be back to kill her," Gunn told him.

"She's very brave to even tell you," Dr. Daniels told them.

"Yes, she is," Fred agreed.

"Now, what can I do for you?" Dr. Daniels asked.

"Tell us everything you can about Patrick Evans, tell us who his professors and friends are and where we can find them."

Dr. Daniels nodded. "Of course. Patrick Evans is quiet, almost shy. He is first chair in the saxophone section of the marching band."

That description didn't sit right with Gunn and when he glanced at Fred, he knew she felt the same way.

Dr. Daniels pulled up something on his computer. A moment later, the printer came to life spitting out several pieces of paper. He handed them to Gunn. "Here's Patrick Evans' schedule, including his professors' names, the buildings where they teach and their office hours and locations.

"Thank you," Gunn told him, silently wondering what he was holding back.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

Fred shook her head. "No, this is very helpful. Thank you."

"Dr. Daniels nodded. "If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."

Gunn smiled his thanks as he and Fred headed for the door.

***

"Did you find any of that strange?" Gunn asked Fred once they were in the truck again.

"Yes. Something was very off."

"Do you think he was lying?"

Fred considered the thought. "Maybe."

"But why would he lie?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

***

"Why don't you pack up the bathroom while I start in here," Angel suggested. Then, considering, "if that's okay, I mean."

Cordy smiled. "That sounds good," she told him, grabbing a box and taking a few steps in the direction of the bathroom before turning back. "Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"I have no secrets from you," she told him, somehow knowing why he'd hesitated when he'd suggested he pack up her bedroom. "I trust you completely."

"With your life?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"With my life, with my heart," she answered.

"Even better," he smiled. She continued into the bathroom and Angel picked up a box. He picked up the picture frames on her bedside table, preparing to wrap them in newspaper, assuming they were her family. He was surprised to see a picture of himself smiling up from the frame. The second frame bore a picture of the two of them together, taken in the early days of Angel Investigations. "Oh, Cordy."

"What?" asked a voice from the doorway.

"Aren't you supposed to have pictures of your family beside your bed?" he asked, indicating the frames. "The people you love most in this world?"

Cordy walked over to him and gently took the frames from him. "And I do," she whispered tenderly, stroking his face. "Never doubt this, Angel. You are my family. You have been for a very long time now."

Angel's only response was to pull her into the tenderest of hugs.

***

An hour later, there was a knock on the door when they were finishing up in the living room. "Angel?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"I know, Cordy. I know," he told her, walking to the door. Opening it, he let out a sigh of relief and stepped back. There stood Gunn and Fred.

"Gunn," Cordy spoke his name, relieved.

For his part, Gunn looked from one to the other. "You two okay?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah, we're fine."

"Yeah," she agreed. "And we're glad you're here."

"You just want my muscles, don't you?" he asked, looking around at the stacks of boxes.

Cordy smiled. "Of course."

Gunn shook his head, laughing. "I see how it is."

Fred laughed. "You two get started on carrying the boxes to the truck. Cordy and I will finish up in here."

"Slave driver," he accused.

"And don't you forget it," she told him with a kiss.

"Hey!" Angel pouted, looking at Cordy.

"What?" she asked.

He pointed at Gunn. "He got a kiss. Where's mine?"

Cordy laughed and kissed him sweetly. "Better?" she asked, amusement filling her eyes.

He nodded and helped Gunn carry the dining room table to the truck. Cordy turned to Fred. "Men!"

Fred laughed. "You can say that again," she agreed as they turned to pack Cordy's few remaining possessions.

***

Two hours later, everything was loaded in the truck. Cordy just needed to drop her key in the key deposit at the administration building and they were on their way. She looked at the apartment complex with a mixture of sadness and happiness as they drove away. "You okay?" Angel asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Angel squeezed her hand. "Good."

***

Back at the hotel, Gunn and Angel repeated the process in reverse, carrying all the furniture and boxes inside. They cleared a corner in the lobby so they could keep everything together. Finished, they collapsed on the sofa with a collective sigh. Cordy appeared in front of them and handed each of them a bottle of water. "Thank you," Gunn told her, swallowing some of the cold liquid.

She shook her head. "No, thank you," she told him, glancing from one to the other. "Both of you. Thank you."

Gunn smiled, but it was Angel who answered, pulling her into his lap. "We love you, Cordy. There's no need to thank us."

She just nodded. "What about all this stuff?" she asked, motioning to the boxes with one hand. "Where do I put it?"

"You put it wherever you want to put it," he answered. "This is your home now. If you'd like a clock on the wall, put it there. If you want a light in the corner, plug it in. This is your home now."

"Thank you."

He just smiled. "And Cordy?"

"Yeah?"

"Take your time. There's no hurry. It doesn't all have to be done in a day or two."

"Okay."

***

When she and Angel went to bed that night, there were two additions to her bedside table. Two photos, to be exact. Angel had dug through the boxes until he'd found the two pictures she'd kept beside her bed at her apartment and then had put them on the table here in her new home, joining the picture that Gunn and Fred had put there on that first night. "Oh, Angel," she whispered, clearly touched.

"Now that I know why they were there, it didn't seem right for you to spend your first official night in your new home without them," he told her softly.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Goodnight."


	14. Chapter 14

"So what did you guys find out yesterday?" Angel asked Gunn the next day. "Did you talk to his professors and friends?"

"Yeah, we talked to them. When we first got there, we talked to the president of the university. He described Patrick Evans as quiet, shy even. He plays in the marching band."

"He used the words quiet and shy?" Angel asked in disbelief.

Gunn nodded. "Yeah. Sounds weird, right?"

"To put it mildly," he agreed. "What else did you find out?"

"His professors described him as smart and outgoing. His friends said he was the life of any party."

"That sounds more like the description I'd expect," Angel said.

"Exactly what I thought," Gunn agreed.

***

Angel snuck up behind Cordy as she pulled an object out of a box and held it in her hands, contemplating where to put it. He slid his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. She leaned into him, feeling the solidness of him behind her, smelling that unique blend of Avatar and sweat that was purely Angel. "Hey," she smiled.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Deciding where to put this," she told him, holding up the cactus in her hands, a cactus, though larger now, looked vaguely familiar to him.

"Is that the cactus I gave you--"

"As a housewarming gift when I first moved into the apartment? Yes."

Angel smiled and kissed her cheek, touched that she still had it all this time later. "How about on the counter?" he asked, nodding at the front desk. She thought about it for a moment and then nodded. She stepped away from his arms and placed the cactus on the end of the counter. "Perfect," he told her.

She smiled. "Yeah."

"I was thinking," Angel told her.

"That's dangerous," she smirked.

"Ha ha. Cute, Cordy."

"I try," she smiled. "Go on."

"How would you like to go out tonight?" he asked softly, pushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"You mean on a date?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"That sounds wonderful," she smiled. "Our first official date."

Angel smiled.

***

Cordy wore the same chestnut brown floor-length satin evening gown that she'd worn the first time they went to the symphony. He watched as she finished with her hair and makeup and rummaged through her jewelry box. "I have something for you," he told her quietly. She turned to him. "You do?"

Angel nodded and handed her a box. When she opened it, she gasped. "Oh, Angel," she whispered. "They're beautiful." Inside, on a bed of cotton, lay diamond princess-cut pendant earrings and matching necklace. Beside it, a bracelet completed the set.

"For my princess," he whispered.

At his words, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Angel," she whispered as a single tear fell.

He quickly brushed her tear away. "Don't cry. You'll ruin your makeup." This earned him a small laugh.

Cordy turned to the mirror and slid the earring posts through her ears and fastened the bracelet around her wrist. She lifted the matching necklace to her throat, preparing to fasten it in place, but he stopped her with a gentle touch. "Let me," he told her, taking it from her. He lowered it over her head and secured it in place. He looked at her in the mirror. "You're beautiful."

She turned so she was looking into his handsome face. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, baby," he told her, kissing her softly.

***

As they made their way downstairs, Fred was there to greet them, camera in hand. "Told you," Cordy whispered.

Angel chuckled. "You were right."

"Oh, you're wearing the same gorgeous dress you wore on your first date," Fred realized as she began to snap photos.

"This _is_ our first date," Cordy told her.

"Uh huh," Gunn said in disbelief.

***

Angel took Cordy's arm as they made their way inside the Los Angeles Philharmonic and took their seats. As they waited for the music to start, Cordy slipped her hand in his. He glanced over at her. This was the most relaxed he'd seen her look since her attack.

Angel slipped his arm around Cordy as the music began to play. Cordy slid closer and leaned against him as they let all their worries and concerns just fade away. For one night anyway.

After the symphony, they hadn't wanted to return home so quickly so they'd gone to the beach. Cordy slipped off her shoes and then slipped her hand inside Angel's as they walked along the beach. It was late and deserted so they had it all to themselves. They didn't say much, just enjoyed being together without the rest of the world intruding. Tomorrow, the world could intrude. Right now, this was their moment. And they cherished it.

When they finally made it home, it was almost 3 in the morning. They were both exhausted, but it had been the best night either of them could remember having in a long time.

Hand in hand, they made their way upstairs. Angel couldn't help but remember the last time when he'd carried her to her room and covered with a blanket after slipping off her shoes and kissing her head. He'd wanted nothing more than to hold her all night long that night. He smiled. Now he had every intention of doing just that.

***

Three days later, Cordelia answered the phone. As she listened, her face lost all color. "Cordy, what's wrong?" Angel asked quietly, but she didn't say anything, merely handed him the phone.

"Hello?" he said into the receiver.

As he listened to the caller, his eyes never left her. She hadn't moved, but covered her face with her hands. "Yes. Thank you very much," he told the woman on the other end of the line before hanging up the phone.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No, but go."

"Are you sure? If you want me to stay, I will. Gunn can handle it."

But Cordy shook her head. "No. Angel, I need you to do it. I need you to make him pay for what he did."

Angel nodded. "Okay," he told her, dropping a kiss onto her lips. "Gunn!" he called.

"Angel?" Cordy stopped him.

He turned toward her. "Yeah?"

"Don't kill him. It's what he deserves, but I don't want that for you. Promise me."

Angel looked her in the eyes and held her gaze. "I promise, Cordy."

It was then that Gunn appeared. "Yeah?" he asked, looking at Angel. "You called?"

"That was one of the many neighbors you interviewed this week," Angel told him, indicating the phone. "She said Patrick Evans just came home. If we hurry, we should be able to catch him."

Gunn nodded. "Let's go," he said, grabbing his jacket.

Angel put on his own leather jacket and looked back at Cordy. "Stay with Fred. We'll take care of this." Cordy nodded as Fred joined her at the front desk.

"Go, Angel. I'll take care of her."

***

Angel knocked on apartment 218, just down the hall from Cordy's old apartment. "Delivery!" Angel called from outside the door, clipboard in hand.

Patrick Evans opened the door. "Who's the delivery for?"

"Patrick Evans," Angel said, looking up from his clipboard, which bore nothing more than a few scribbled names.

"Come in," Patrick told him, gaining the vampire the permission he needed to enter his home. He closed the door behind him.

Angel wheeled in the 'delivery'. Once inside, he cut open the box to reveal one Charles Gunn. "Hey! What's going on?" Patrick Evans asked, growing angry.

Angel had him against the wall in a matter of seconds. "Don't talk unless I speak to you," he hissed. "Does that sound familiar to you?"

Patrick Evans recognized the words instantly. "That bitch!"

Angel punched him, hard. "I thought I might start off by doing everything you did to her," he told him, almost conversationally. "Starting with this." With those words, Angel punched him in the nose. Blood poured out of his nose and onto his Cal State L.A. sweatshirt.

"I'm going to kill her!" Patrick made the mistake of voicing his thoughts. For his trouble, Angel pulled back and punched him again. Gunn thought he heard a crack as Angel broke his nose.

Angel let go of him so he could stand. "You prey on women because you can." Patrick didn't even attempt to deny the accusation.

"They're just women, the inferior sex. Why should you care about a weak, stupid woman?"

"Why? Because this particular woman is the one that holds my heart. She is everything," he told him, turning away for a second. Patrick Evans thought this was the end of the fight. Angel turned back and kicked him with all the vampire strength he had in him. Right between the legs. "That's for Cordy." Patrick Evans doubled over in pain, falling to the ground and moaning like he was dying.

Gunn smirked. "That should teach you," he told the man on the floor. It was at that moment that Patrick Evans reached into the waistband of his jeans. He pulled out the Colt 45 that he'd threatened Cordy with and fired three shots into Angel and then aimed the pistol at Gunn. Angel jumped in front of Gunn, taking three more for his friend.

"I really hate when people shoot me," Angel told him as his smooth features hardened, his face taking on the face of the demon inside. Angel kicked the pistol out of his hand and punched Patrick in the nose, knocking him to the ground.

"Patrick?" a masculine voice called from the other room.

"Dad?" Patrick choked out.

And out walked Dr. Benjamin Daniels.

"You're his father?" Gunn asked in shock.

Dr. Daniels held his head high. "Yes. A fact that makes me proud, I'll have you know."

"Who is he, Gunn?"

"He's the president of the university that we talked to when we first arrived at Cal State L.A.," Gunn told his friend.

Remembering their conversation from a few days earlier, he said, "the one that described this piece of trash as quiet and shy," Angel said.

Gunn nodded. "That's the one."

"It all makes sense now," Angel said, looking from one to the other. "You were trying to protect your son."

Dr. Daniels sighed. "Yes."

"Not that it matters," Gunn told him. "You're still going to jail."

Angel looked at Patrick. "You're lucky I made a promise or you'd be dead right now," he told him before kicking him one last time. Patrick, who'd begun to feel better doubled over in pain once again.

It was at that moment that a knock sounded at the door. Gunn walked over to it and swung it open. "Ah, you're here," he said, seeing the men standing there. "Please do come in."

Two burly policemen entered the apartment. "Mr. Gunn, Mr. Angel," they greeted the two men. "Who do we have here?"

"The one on the floor would be Patrick Evans, your suspect and soon to be convicted rapist," Gunn told them. "And this one," he pointed at Dr. Daniels, "is his father. He lied and tried to protect him during the investigation."

"Nice work, gentlemen," the younger of the two policemen told them as he pulled Patrick from the floor still moaning from pain. He snapped the handcuffs around his wrists while his partner did the same to his father.

"What's his name?" he asked Gunn, pointing at the father.

"Dr. Daniels."

"It's not Dr. Benjamin Daniels?"

Gunn looked at him in surprise. "Yeah. Why?"

"Benjamin Daniels is wanted in 3 states. He's the ringleader of a group of serial rapists. They prey on single, white women. The women usually are in their early to mid twenties, have dark hair and live alone."

"My God," Gunn whispered.

***

Angel and Gunn arrived back at the hotel an hour later. Angel clutched his stomach, wincing in pain as he walked through the front door. He stumbled to the sofa and sat down.

"Angel, are you okay?" Cordy asked, running over to him.

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not. Fred, get me the first aid kit."

Fred returned a minute later with the kit. Cordy pulled out the gauze, bandages and tweezers. She carefully pulled out one bullet at a time, cleaning the wounds and bandaging them. "How do you feel?" she asked when she'd finished.

"Better," he admitted, a little surprised.

"What happened, Angel?" she asked softly.

He had a gun. He shot me and then tried to shoot Gunn.

"He stepped in front of the gun," Gunn told her. "He saved my life."

Cordy nodded, not surprised.

"And the rest?"

Angel wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "It's over, baby. It's over."


	15. Epilogue

Six months later, both Patrick Evans and Benjamin Daniels were convicted of aggravated sexual assault. Both received the maximum sentence. Life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Three months after the father and son were sentenced, Cordelia's flashbacks stopped completely.

***

"Come with me, Cordy," Angel told her one night a year after her ordeal.

"Where are we going?"

Angel just smiled. "You'll see."

***

Angel pulled up to the beach they'd shared a walk on their incredible first date together. They'd since had many walks on this beach. Secretly, they thought of it as theirs. Cordy smiled and took off her shoes, tossing them in the backseat before she climbed out of the convertible. She slipped her hand in Angel's as they walked along the shoreline. It was as quiet as ever.

"Angel, what's this?" she asked, indicating the picnic basket and blanket a few feet away.

He simply smiled and helped her to sit down, sitting down beside her. "There's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked.

Angel pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. "Cordy, the last year has been full of ordeals and heartache, but we got through it, came out stronger for it. When I look back on this year, the thing I remember most of all is not all the heartache, but the love that got us through it. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Angel pulled out a princess-cut diamond solitaire. "Will you marry me?"

A single tear slipped down Cordy's face. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you," she told him before kissing him softly.

Angel thought his heart might burst from happiness and turn him into Angelus once again, free to reign terror on the world at large. That is, he would have worried about that if he hadn't just recently received a very special gift from the Powers That Be. The gift of humanity. It seemed that his helping to put Cordy's rapist behind bars had been his final act as a redeeming vampire. Three days after her rapist was convicted, Cordy woke up to a strange but familiar sound as she lay on Angel's chest. It took a moment for her to realize what it was. When she did, she cried. She woke up Angel to tell him. And then he'd cried. The sound: Angel's heart. Beating.

He opened the basket and drew out two champagne flutes. He pulled out a bottle of Taittinger and poured. He handed her a glass and clinked his glass against hers. "To us," he told her, taking a sip.

"To us," she repeated.

Angel carefully took the glass from her and set them down. He framed her face in his hands, gently caressing the skin there, just looking into those beautiful hazel eyes he loved so much. He lowered his lips to hers in a kiss that was tender. Cordy's hands travelled up his black button-up shirt, releasing each button as she did so. Angel knew what she was doing. "Are you sure?"

Cordy nodded. "I'm sure."

An hour later, lying sated in each other's arms, covered with their picnic blanket, Cordy smiled. "You were right."

Angel looked at her, a look of confusion on his face. "About what?"

"I feel beautiful again," she whispered, looking at the diamond on her finger. "Complete."

For Angel, more perfect words could not be spoken. He knew that, for Cordy, that was the final sign of healing. She was back. Completely.

And she was his.


End file.
